


Beyond The Mirror: Equinox

by SelenaProductions



Series: Beyond The Mirror [2]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Hercules (1997), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark Comedy, Drama & Romance, F/M, Greek and Roman Mythology - Freeform, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-05-24 06:23:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 69,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6144422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelenaProductions/pseuds/SelenaProductions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With nowhere left to go, Persephone tries to end the legacy Wesker created within her, but nothing ever turns out as planned. Now, if the future is to be saved, she and the whole Ancient Greek world must survive the horror. However, when the dust settles, will Persephone be left with a destroyed world or a broken heart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Connected

_2006 C.E. Japan_

_“Alert!”_

_“Alert!”_

_"Bio-hazardous outbreak imminent!"_

_"All personnel evacuate immediately!"_

Wesker narrowed his eyes at the scientists fleeing the high security room while it blinked red on and off from the alarm system. He stood on the balcony, one floor above the chaos. A loud roar echoed from inside of the room, followed by a gurgled scream, and blood splattered onto the white doors.

“It looks like we have some guests, Albert.”

He shifted his gaze in the direction of the young woman standing before him. She was dressed in a long, black victorian coat with white, ruffled lace around the sleeves and neckline. A large hood covered most of her dark hair, and her right eye was hidden under an eyepatch.

She smirked, her left eye glistening with mischief. “A Mr. Redfield and Ms. Valentine seem eager to see you. Shall I give them a warm welcome?”

“You know what must be done, Galenia. Leave those two to me.” Wesker drew his attention back toward the room _. “_ T-201 has broken from hibernation, and I cannot afford to lose such valuable research.”

“If that's what you want. I guess I'll prepare an escape root." Galenia sprinted down the hall.

Wesker leapt from the balcony and landed on the floor with ease. He entered the room, ignoring the bodies scattered about. Glancing over at the containment unit T-201 had been kept in, he saw that the glass was broken, and the suspension liquid was leaking onto the floor. He followed the trail of wet footprints to a large hole in the wall.

“So that's where you escaped to,” he muttered.

He heard moaning behind him, and turning, he saw that some of the fallen scientists were reanimating. He headed through the wall and followed the path of debris. Several gunshots rung in the distance. He sped up his pace, and reaching the end of the hall, he spotted a second large hole.

Wesker peered inside. Chris was standing in the center of the room, his gun raised. A loud roar erupted through the air, and T-201 charged at Chris, its claws trying to rip him open. Chris dodge-rolled across the floor. He flipped onto his right knee and unloaded a full clip into T-201's torso. The tyrant let out an ear-piercing screech and staggered back.

Wesker frowned, his mind filling with the memory of the mansion incident.  _I will not let Chris ruin my plans again._

Pulling back the sleeve on his right arm, he revealed a small controller that was wrapped around his wrist. He pressed a few buttons, sending an electric shock through T-201's body. It turned its head and snarled at him, but stayed frozen in place. Before Chris could look in his direction, Wesker pinned him to the wall by his neck.

He tightened his grip. "Chris, why am I not surprised to see you here?"

Wesker threw him aside. Chris skidded across the floor and rammed into the wall. He let out a painful groan before bringing himself to his feet.

"Wesker." He narrowed his eyes.

"I see you've met my latest project." Wesker gestured toward T-201. "Brilliant, isn't she?"

Chris held up his gun. "Just another monster. I'll destroy it like all the others. And then I'll finish you once and for all."

"Always so confident, aren't you? Persephone will become the perfect bio-weapon, and now that you're here, let's do a proper test run." Wesker pressed one of the buttons on his controller. "Destroy Chris Redfield."

Another electric jolt surged through T-201's body, making it screech in pain before focusing its sights on Chris. It charged at him with raised claws, but Chris ran out of the way. He pulled out a shotgun and blasted a few shots at T-201's chest.

Two bullets hit the encasing around its throbbing heart, which had mutated onto its back. T-201 started to fall to its knees, and as it did, the last bullet struck it in its third eye. Blood spurted from its forehead, and T-201 screamed. However, its painful wails sounded more human than before.

"Stop!"

Chris paused and lowered his gun. T-201 brought its clawed hands to its head, blood dripping from its eyes.

"Even now she still has a tie to her old human emotions. Of course, she should know by now that resisting will do her no good." Wesker pressed another button.

"Aaaah!" T-201 collapsed onto its back, the electric charges stinging its body more and more, and its words came out in incomprehensible gurgles. "Stop! Please!"

Chris' eyes widened. “What have you done?"

"Don't be shocked, Chris. Some must suffer for the progress of discovery." Wesker approached him. "Now for revenge. I told you before that our next meeting would not be so fortunate for you."

Chris shot at him, but Wesker was able to dodge the bullets with his immense speed. Wesker right hooked him in the jaw and punched him a second time in the abdomen. Chris flipped up into the air and landed on his stomach; he coughed up a few drops of blood. Wesker stomped his foot into the center of Chris' back, making him grunt aloud. He picked Chris up by the back of his neck and started to choke him.

Wesker gave him a small smirk. "How I've waited for this moment."

A low roar graced his ears. From the corner of his eye, he could see T-201 standing up.

"Why don't we reenact a little karma? You remember how I died, don't you?” he said.

Chris struggled against his grip, his hands trying to pry Wesker's off of his neck. Wesker brought him over to T-201 while the tyrant raised its right claws high into the air.

"Goodbye, Chris." Wesker began to laugh but abruptly stopped, feeling four sharp digits pierce his abdomen.

He looked up at T-201, his blood building up in his throat. Its red eyes met his before retracting its claw back. Wesker released his grip on Chris, and staggering back, he held onto the wall for support. He looked down. Blood was seeping from the wound, but T-201 hadn't punctured him all the way through.

Wesker glared at the tyrant and reached for his controller. "You dare strike me!"

“I don't think so.” Chris fired a bullet straight at his wrist and shattered the controller to pieces.

He fired again, but Wesker dodged out of the way. T-201 roared and charged at Wesker, and he kicked at its face, knocking it back. T-201 landed roughly against the wall. Wesker dashed toward Chris and punched him twice in the face. Chris' gun fell from his hands, his body skidding across the floor. Wesker lifted him up into the air and threw him into the one of the tables. It broke under Chris' weight, and Wesker jumped up and punched him in the stomach. Chris let out a scream, more blood spurting from his mouth.

Raising his hand high above his head, Wesker narrowed his eyes at the spot on Chris’ chest where his heart would be.  _This is the last time you'll interfere._

A blast erupted from behind him, and before he could turn around, he was struck down with acid. He was knocked away from Chris and into the wall.

Chris coughed before sitting up. "Jill?"

_"Warning!"_

_"Warning!"_

_"The self destruction sequence has been initiated! Ten minutes until detonation!"_

Jill lowered her grenade launcher and rushed to his side. "Hurry, Chris, we have to get out of here.”

With a loud roar, T-201 stood up, and its eyes focused on Chris and Jill. She raised and aimed her grenade launcher. Pulling the trigger, she shot a round at T-201, but it didn't fall back and proceeded to close in on them. It roared again and raised its claws, ready to charge.

Wesker lifted his head and held his side. _It looks like Galenia didn't do her job._

A whirlwind of sand surrounded T-201 and engulfed it until the tyrant vanished into thin air.

He gritted his teeth. "What did you do?"

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up and saw Galenia.

She glanced down at him and whispered, "Don't worry. It's meant to be this way."

_"Five minutes until detonation!"_

Wesker smirked at them. “It seems time is against me as well as on my side. This will not be the end, Chris.”

Galenia took him by the arm, and they vanished from the room.

….

Chris followed Jill outside toward the helicopter platform. He could hear the alarms growing louder and louder as they ran.

_"One minute until detonation!"_

They found a helicopter waiting for them on the landing strip. The side door opened, and they headed inside.

Sitting down, Chris caught his breath, and he looked toward the pilot's seat. “You're a lifesaver, Barry."

A middle-aged man turned his head and nodded. "It's no problem, Chris, you know that.”

Jill shut the door. "Let's get out of here."

The helicopter lifted into the air, and within seconds, the facility exploded beneath them. Chris and Jill watched as the building imploded into a mushroom cloud of fire and smoke.

Chris frowned.  _The Japan facility had already shut down after Umbrella went bankrupt. How could Wesker use it as a base without raising suspicion from the government?_

“That was too close." Jill sighed before looking at Chris. "Here, let me dress your wounds."

“I’ll be fine." Chris rubbed his abdomen a little.

He couldn't believe it; even when he knew what to expect, Wesker still managed to beat him. And there was no doubt in his mind that his ex captain had escaped the explosion.

“Did you get the data?” he said.

“Yes.” Jill brought out a laptop from her bag. “I had just finished downloading all of the files when one of the scientists showed up and initiated the self-destruct.”

A red and white hexagon symbol appeared on the screen. She typed in the password and a bunch of files popped open on the desktop.

Chris narrowed his eyes, noticing one of the pictures. “Click on that one right there.”

Jill did so, and the file filled the screen.

She furrowed her brow. “T-201: Persephone? That's the tyrant we saw in the facility.”

He stared at the image. "There was something strange about that tyrant. For a brief second it sounded human, like the victim was still alive. Wesker seemed to hold it in high regard. I'm not sure what Wesker was creating it for, but–”

The helicopter started to jolt and shake. Chris looked around. Had they hit some kind of turbulence? Or maybe there was still some aftershock from the explosion? The data on the laptop malfunctioned, the screen going black, and a red light began to flash amongst the pilot controls.

Chris held on to the side bar of his seat for support. “Barry, what's going on?”

Barry tried to pull the wheel up, but the helicopter started descending toward the ocean. “I don't know. The controls stopped working!” He growled while pulling the main lever. “Fucking technology!”

Chris felt a sudden pain in his heart. It stung and felt cold, like his very core was frozen solid from the inside. The sensation spread to the rest of his body. He couldn't move, and his breath shortened with each second. He shifted his gaze toward Jill, who had fallen out of her seat. One hand was over her heart while the other was clawing into the fabric of her chair. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was open in a permanent gasp.

"Jill!" He tried to scream, but his voice was hoarse.

It felt like his vocal cords had gone stiff, and his ears rung from the throbbing in his head. He couldn't even hear his friends’ shouts, or even the blaring alarms. Chris' vision blotted out, and the last thing he saw was the violent waves of the ocean engulfing them.


	2. Connected

_1279_ _(Bronze Age),_ _Greece_

Persephone stared up at the grand structure that was Mt. Olympus. It would have been a strenuous hike for any mortal, but all she had to do was float. Still, the anticipation of her confrontation with the Olympians made her feel uneasy.

_After everything's that's happened, I'm not sure I can face them._ She put a hand to her heart.  _Is mother up there today? What's she going to think?_

“Are you okay, Percy?” Despoina looked at her.

She shook her head. “I’m fine, Des, don't worry. Let's do this.”

Persephone scaled the mountain. However, despite her determination, she couldn't help but let her doubts get the best of her. Her mind wandered to the day she appeared on Demeter's island twenty years ago.

_Has it really been that long ago?_ She sighed.  _It still feels like it was yesterday._

….

_Persephone fell and landed on rough, hot sand. She lay still for seemed like hours while she reverted from her Tyrant form to a meek, androgynous body. Waves crashed over, and it almost felt soothing. That was until her nose caught the sweet scent of vitality._

_“What is that?”_

_“It's a body.”_

_“Is it dead?”_

_A group of nymphs had discovered her, and unfortunately for them, Persephone's stomach was still furious over the last meal that had escaped. As soon as the nymphs were close enough, she attacked and killed them one by one, but their cries for help managed to reach the ears of a certain someone. Persephone was in the middle of devouring the last nymph when she was met with the raging face of Demeter._

_“Mo… mother?” She gurgled out, blood spilling from her lips._

_Demeter looked ready to smite her, but Persephone's claim had caught her off guard. She continued to call the Earth goddess her mother while she reached out for her with tears in her eyes._

_“What is your name?” Demeter stepped away from her, her narrowed gaze watching the creature in front of her with disgust._

_“Per… Per… Persephone.” She continued to crawl over to her. “Momma. It's me, Momma.”_

_The name seemed to ring a bell with Demeter, for she simply stared, and stared, and stared. She demanded Persephone repeat herself, and when she received the same answer again, the Earth Goddess burst into tears and rushed her home._

….

Persephone reached the main entrance to Mt. Olympus and remained hidden within the shadows. Morning had peaked, and she could see Apollo's chariot already flying through the sky. After two months in the Underworld, she had forgotten how bright Olympus was.

_I'll never understand why Hades wants this place._ She cringed, her eyes stinging.  _It's only a bunch of clouds._

She then directed her attention to the grand staircase that led up to the golden, Olympian gates, and she found herself unable to take her eyes off the gates. Those stupid, infuriating gates.

….

_Persephone climbed out of the window of her room. After years of begging, Demeter had let her come to Olympus for the harvest festival. Now they were spending the night in her mother’s cottage, which meant it was the perfect time to set her plan into action. Drawing in a breath of fresh air, she smiled. Everything was quiet and abandoned._

_She gazed back at the cottage and whispered, “Sorry, Mother, but I have some unfinished business to take care of.”_

_She sneaked her way through the kingdom and made a break for the Olympian gates. Unfortunately, her sprint to freedom was halted when she bumped into something and fell back on the ground. She rubbed her head and groaned before looking up._

_She saw that it wasn't a something but a someone. Zeus was standing in front of her, though she couldn't recall seeing him there a moment ago. He looked a bit sweaty and had a satchel of lightning bolts at his side. She could only guess that he had been out smiting._

_Wiping his forehead, Zeus looked down. “Persephone?” Smiling, he held out a hand. “Sorry, didn't see you there.”_

_“Uh, no, it's okay, Lord Zeus. I wasn't paying attention.” She let him help her up. “Forgive me. I'm such a klutz.”_

_“It's no big deal.” He laughed before raising an eyebrow. “So what are you doing out this late? It's not safe for a woman, even a goddess, to be out on her own.”_

_“Oh, I was, um–” She cleared her throat. “Going out for a quick jog. Got to keep healthy, you know.”_

_“Well, it seems to be doing you justice.” He looked her up and down. “Keep it up.”_

_“Thanks….” She stepped back. “Anyway, I'm sure you're probably tired and want to go home and rest. Have a goodnight.”_

_Persephone tried to walk in the direction of the gates, but Zeus grabbed her wrist. She froze while he took her by the arm and guided her away._

_“There's no need to run off. We're both awake, and I'm sure you don't mind staying a few minutes to enjoy the view with me.” He held her close. “Besides, Demeter would have a fit if she found out you were wandering around unprotected.”_

_“Thank you for your concern, Lord Zeus, but–” She felt his free arm snake its way around her waist, and she tried her best not to cringe. "I'll head back home, so mother won't worry. Could you let me go now?”_

_Ignoring her, he put a hand to her face. “You look a little flushed. Are you coming down with something?”_

_She pushed his hand away. “No, I'm not. Would you please let me go?”_

_"Now, don't be so hasty, Persephone. I don't bite. And you're shivering. Here, let me warm you up.” He moved her closer, but she continued to struggle, making him narrow his eyes. “Stop fidgeting. You're making this difficult.”_

_“I don't care. Now get your fucking hands off me!” She swung her right hand, dealing a back handed blow to Zeus' face._

_His grip loosened, allowing her to break free. She backed away from him, her heart pounding. She watched him while he stood, almost stunned. His eyes then found her, and his gaze deepened into a glare._

_“Defiant, bitch!” He slapped her._

_She landed on her elbow and groaned before trying to crawl away, but Zeus stomped his foot on the bottom of her dress, pinning her down._

_She looked up at him. “What are you doing? Stop it!”_

_Zeus pulled her up by her hair. “I was trying to be nice. You're a lovely goddess. Such beauty shouldn't go to waste.”_

_He caressed her cheek, making her flinch._

_“But since you're so insistent on being difficult, I'll do things my way.” He smirked. “Let's see if you're better than your mother.”_

_She grabbed the hand that was holding her up, hoping to pry his fingers off. Tears spilled from her eyes, and she glared at him._

_“Let go of me, you asshole!” She spat in his face._

_Scowling, he threw her into the gates. Her head collided with the hard, metal bars, and she fell unconscious._

….

Persephone gripped her head, recalling the sting of the impact against her skull. Everything that happened afterwards was fuzzy, but the next thing she knew, she was over Zeus with bloodlust and rage consuming her.

“Percy, Percy, can you hear me?” Despoina tugged on her sleeve. “What's wrong?”

Persephone snapped out of her daze. “What? I… it's nothing. Let's go.”

Despoina folded her arms. “Maybe you should rethink this. You don't look like you're feeling up to it, and no one's seen you. You could get away without any trouble.”

“I’m doing this, Des. That's the end of the discussion.” She made her way up the stairs.

When she reached the top, she felt a sudden pain in her heart. Gasping, she fell against the gates, her hands gripping onto its bars for support. Her vision blurred, her head spun, and she knew why. She could sense them, all of the vitality from the nearby gods. The congregating scents drove her mad, and she wanted to find each one of them and strip them of their tantalizing flesh until they were nothing but rotten skeletons.

She shook her head and forced herself to stand straight.  _No, stop it. You have to stay in control until you can end this._ Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the gates.

In a quick blur, she saw Hermes zip over.

He hovered in the air with his winged sandals and looked down at her. “You knocked, babe?”

She removed the hood of her cloak, making his eyes widen behind his red-tinted shades.

“Persephone? What are you doing here?” he said.

_Has it gotten that bad? I can't even look at Hermes without…._ She bit her tongue and lowered her gaze toward the ground. “I need to speak with Zeus.”

He shook his head. “No can do. You're still banished. However, if you leave now, I promise I won't tell the Z-man I saw you.”

Persephone groaned and shoved her arm through the bars, trying to reach out for him. She blinked, unsure if the action had been her own doing. "

Please, Hermes. It's an emergency. The well-being of the mortal world could be at stake,” she said.

Hermes stared at her before turning his head and looking back toward Olympus. She hoped he believed her. The mortal world would be in grave danger if she stuck around any longer. She had taken plenty of lives, and it was only a matter of time before she slipped up while trying to cover her tracks.

“Alright, I'll let you in.” Sighing, Hermes opened the gate. “Stay close to me, and I'll explain everything to Zeus.”

Persephone walked inside _. Well, that's the first step out of the way. Now, I have to keep my composure around that empty-headed creep._

….

Hades found himself wandering through a barren wasteland. There was nothing for miles but dirt and sand, and the scorching sun hovered overhead, evaporating any scrap of moisture that tried to form. The heat, naturally, didn't bother him, but he knew he wasn't in the Underworld again. 

_Oy, now where am I? This isn't another dream, is it? Geez Louise, this is gettin’ confusin’. I haven't had dreams like these since…._ He frowned. _I'm starting to wonder if this was all a trick, and she was tryin’ to swindle me to get Olympus for herself._

Putting a hand to his head, he groaned. How could he be so stupid? He should have realized it before. However, something wasn't adding up. Ever since she walked into his life, he started remembering things long forgotten.

He knew it couldn't be a coincidence. If only he could find some clue, something that could help him piece all this together. He continued to walk until he finally saw something in the distance. Well, several things. It looked like wisps of light crowding in a large group.

He squinted his eyes.  _Wait, those are souls. Well, at least this time it's somethin’ I'm familiar with, but what are they doin’ out here?_

Getting closer to investigate, he realized there were more souls than he first thought. There were hundreds, probably thousands wandering aimlessly over the scorched terrain. Some looked like families that were huddled together while others were alone and crying out for help.

“My town. My beautiful town. Those traitors. How dare they! How dare they!”

Turning, Hades saw the ghost of a middle-aged man. He was dressed in a white, police uniform.

The officer beat his fists into the ground. “Umbrella! You ungrateful bastards!”

_Umbrella?_ Hades frowned.

He saw that the officer had been severed in half. There was a large gash that divided his torso from his right shoulder to his left hip. However, the man seemed to be unconcerned with the wound and continued to sob into the ground.

“Sherry? Sherry, where are you? Oh god, please answer me, Sherry!”

This time it was a woman. She had short, blond hair and was dressed in a long, white coat. The coat itself was covered in blood, but like the man before her, she was unhindered by the major injury. She ran through the crowds of souls, translucent tears in her eyes.

“She's not here, Annette.”

A man who was also dressed in a white coat walked over to the woman. He had short brown hair and was slightly taller than her, but what drew Hades' attention were the several bullet wounds scattered across the front of his body.

“We've searched everywhere,” the man said.

“Oh, William.” Annette buried her face in his chest. “This is all my fault. If I had been a better mother and protected her, I'd know that Sherry is safe. But now I can only be terrified. What if the girl I met wasn't able to administer the vaccine in time? Our Sherry is….”

There was a pained expression on William's face, but he repressed it and embraced Annette. “Don't blame yourself. This was my doing, and now both of my legacies are gone.”

Hades then passed by a group of men. They were all dressed like soldiers, but not like the ones he had seen before. In fact, they sort of reminded him of Claire's brother.

“Damn it! If I had only been faster to catch that bastard.” One man paced back and forth in front of the others, and the only wound he had sustained was a shot to the chest.

“Don't say that, Enrico. None of us knew what Wesker was up to, and we weren't prepared for that kind of situation,” a dark-skinned man said.

Unlike the other men, he was holding his head in his hands, and judging from the marks on his neck, it had been chewed off.

“That's just it, Kenneth.” Enrico kicked the ground. “I discovered it, but I was too late to warn anyone else. And now he's out there killing more innocent people.”

A third man coughed and sat up, which was difficult task with the large snake bite in his abdomen. “And what about the others? Chris, Rebecca, Jill, and Barry are still out there.”

“Don't look so hopeful, Richard.” Another man shook his head, and he looked like he had been pecked to death. “They could have met their end. We simply haven't found them yet."

Richard frowned. “You don't know that, Forest. Chris rescued me; he could have rescued the others too. I know he survived, and I know that somehow they'll make sure Wesker and the rest of Umbrella don't get away with this. Joseph? Edward? What do you think?”

The two men were covered with bite marks that seemed to have been left by some kind of canine, or possibly multiple ones, considering the damage. They shared a glance before Joseph met Richard's gaze.

“I want to believe that as much as you do, but there's no way to confirm it. After all, the only one to survive out of that mansion was Brad, and he’s–” Joseph cringed while glancing in the last man's direction.

Brad was sitting slightly away from the rest of the men. His posture was curved into a slump, and he stared mindlessly at the ground. From what Hades could see, the man had a huge, bloody hole where his mouth should have been, like something large had pierced right through it to his skull. The men continued their conversation, ignoring Hades' presence.

_Come to think of it, none of these souls have noticed me._ Hades furrowed his brow.  _And why do they look so different?_

It wasn't uncommon for a soul to be mentally or emotionally affected by a tragic death or even the concept that they were dead in general, but these souls were reflecting the fatal injuries that killed them.

_Then again, they're roamin’ above ground. Souls that aren't put to rest do try to lurk amongst the mortal world as ghosts, or until I can send the Erinyes to reel them back into the Underworld._ He frowned.  _But where’d they all come from?_

“Hades! Hades! There you are!”

He turned in the direction of the voice and saw a young girl run up to him. Her body and clothes were ripped to shreds like she had been mauled to death. The girl stopped in front of him, panting a bit.

“Oh, thank goddess, I found you.” She tilted her head up, revealing a large tear in her neck.

In his mind, he saw the girl on the ground covered in blood. She was screaming out for her mother and Persephone. Blinking, he rubbed his eyes.

“Des… Despoina?” he said.

“So you do remember? Good.” She grabbed onto his sleeve. “Now, come on! You gotta hurry!”

He yanked his sleeve from her grip and formed a T-shape with his hands. “Time out. What's goin’ on here?”

“I’ll explain later.” Her expression was frantic. “But we gotta go! Persephone’s in trouble.”

He folded his arms. “In trouble how?”

She frowned. “She went to Mt. Olympus to break her banishment with Zeus. She's convinced that she's beyond help and didn't wanna put you or anyone else in danger. I've tried reasonin’ with her, but I'm not gettin’ through.”

_Persephone said she'd be killed if Zeus found out she broke her banishment. Why would she be that suicidal? But she did try to kill me._ He raised an eyebrow. “And why should I help? From the looks of things, Persephone wanted me dead.”

“Seriously? Don't be a dork-brain!" She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “You and my sister have always been mushy with each other. You think that's changed now? Even the dumbest, blindest person in the world could tell she loves you. The one that keeps tryin’ to kill you is the evil one.”

“The evil one? Care to elaborate?” he said.

“Dude, I died at ten. I don't got all the answers.” He glared at her, making her sigh. “Look. All I know is that she showed up when the incident happened. She's been doin’ her best to block me out, and from what I can hear of her whinin’, she's got a personal beef against you.”

He thought for a moment.

_“She wasn't who you were looking for? Oh, you must have meant the other one. My mistake.”_

_“I am Persephone: T-Type 201. I was born when the T-virus reanimated her after she died, and after the experiments, I developed a will of my own. My other is the one you consider the real Persephone, but we are one, two sides of the same coin.”_

“When Persephone attacked me in the throne room, I swear I heard two different voices, like she was fightin’ with herself.” Hades furrowed his brow. “So there really are two of her?”

Despoina smirked. "Bingo. You catch on fast. Looks like you haven't gotten senile in your old age."

His skin tinged, and he groaned. “Look, ya little squirt, just tell me what I have to do.”

“Well, first, you have to wake up.” She snapped her fingers.

Despoina and the city of souls vanished, and Hades was staring at the ceiling of his throne room.

“Hello? He-llo?" Pain waved a hand over his face. "Boss, you okay?”

He heard Panic sigh. “We tried to warn him.”

“I, ah….” Hades clutched his head.  _She can really pack a punch._

Looking around, he saw there were no traces of Minthe, the corpses, or Persephone herself. All that was left were the shards of the vase that were scattered across the floor.

_How long have I been out?_ He blinked. _Is she already on Mt. Olympus?_

“Boss, what happened?” Pain furrowed his brow, noticing Hades' silence.

Hades pointed to the door. “Go to Persep–Kore’s garden and see if she's still there.”

Panic shared a glance with Pain before they both disappeared. Hades sat on his throne and tapped his fingers against the cold stone in anticipation. The imps reappeared, both of them stumbling over each other to get to him.

His flames flared across his body. “Out with it!”

Panic trembled. “She's gone.”

“What?” His eyes widened.

Pain pushed Panic down by his shoulders and hovered over him. “We didn't see her anywhere, and her garden has been destroyed. Everything is scorched and withered up.”

Hades stood up. “Mind the place, boys. I'm goin’ topside.”

Pain waddled over to him. “Where to, Boss?”

“Don't worry about it. Just don't wreck the place while I'm gone.” Hades left the throne room and headed downstairs toward the dock by the Styx.  _I can't let Persephone do this._

….

Persephone followed Hermes into Zeus' throne room, her breath caught in her throat the entire time. She had thought her plan through, but now that she was here, she was terrified. Not of dying, but having to deal with the obnoxious god that was sitting before her. The King of the Gods was adorned in a pink chiton, his golden aura shining brighter than the sun.

Zeus looked up. “Morning, Hermes. Got any new news for me today before the daily meeting?”

“About that, sir. I came across a little distraction.” Hermes moved out of the way, revealing Persephone.

Zeus' expression changed from his normally happy-go-lucky demeanor to a pure scowl. “What are  _you_ doing here? Have you forgotten that I banished you?”

Hermes let out a nervous chuckle and flew in-between them. “Hold on, big guy. Persephone said that she had some urgent news to inform you about, regarding the mortals. I thought maybe you could hear her out.”

“Really?” Zeus shifted his gaze from Hermes to Persephone and back, and rubbing his white, bearded chin, he nodded. “Very well. Leave us, Hermes.”

“Got it.” He sped from the room.

Persephone took a deep breath. Now she was trapped alone in a room with Zeus, and there were no witnesses.

“So, Persephone, you came all the way up here to see me.” Zeus raised an eyebrow. “Does your mother know you've wandered away from home?”

“Dumb question…  _Lord Zeus_ .” She folded her arms.

“Oh, come now, Persephone. Loosen up.” Letting out a hearty chuckle, he stood up and walked over to her. “I know we had a little misunderstanding in the past, but that's no reason for you to be so uptight.”

_If you can call trying to rape me a little misunderstanding._ She narrowed her eyes at him. “Look, I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, so I'll make this quick. The mortal world is in danger, and I need your help.”

This seemed to get his attention, for he stopped advancing toward her. “In danger how?”

Persephone bit her lip. “I’m not sure, but I… I had a nightmare. However, the more I thought about it, the more it started to seem like a premonition, like the Fates were trying to reach me. There's something wrong with my powers, and if you don't kill me right now, the whole mortal world could be completely annihilated.”

Zeus stared at her for several minutes before laughing. “Really, I've heard some stories, but you can't be serious?”

_Probably should’ve thought my explanation out more._ She shook her head. “No, I mean it.”

He walked over to her, and before she knew it, he had one arm wrapped around her waist and was pulling her closer. “Come now, Sephy, you didn't have to create some ridiculous lie to get me to see you. If you want to kiss and make up for our tiny spat, I'm more than willing to oblige.”

She pushed him away, which wasn't an easy feat considering how much larger he was. “Don't call me that! And I'm not joking. You need to kill me!”

“Of course, of course, if you say so.” He tilted her head up with his hand. “But first we have old business to attend to.”

Zeus leaned in to kiss Persephone while she struggled to get away from him. She felt her restrain weaken at the scent of his vitality, and she didn’t have the desire to resist like she had with Hades. Gritting her teeth, she raised her arm and backhanded Zeus across the face.

He let go of her and fell to the ground from the surprising force. He lifted his head and touched his face. The spot was a bit red, but she hadn't done any real damage. He glared at her, and she could already hear thunder crashing above them. However, seeing his gaze draw lower, she followed his line of sight and gasped. Her right arm had mutated when she slapped him.

Zeus narrowed his eyes. “What are you?”

“I–” She looked between her arm and him before backing away.  _Oh no. I'm losing control. I have to get away before…._

She turned on her heel and sprinted out of the room. She could sense Zeus following behind her, and the scent of his vitality was unbearable. It didn't help matters that a part of her wanted to kill him. Her vision blurred, and she stumbled onto her knees. Her skin burned with a painful itch, and her stomach began to gnaw at her insides. 

Thunder cracked all around her, the clouds turning dark and heavy. She cried aloud clawing at the thick earth of the mountain that rested underneath the fluffy mist of the clouds. She looked down at her right arm. Her godly aura had caused the mutation to fade, but she knew it was only temporary. She'd lose herself, and her true monstrous form would be exposed to everyone.

“Get back here!”

She felt Zeus snatch her by her hair, and he yanked her head up to face him. She struggled against him, but he held her in place.

“I knew there was something wrong with you after our last encounter, but this confirms it. Now answer me! What are you!” he said.

Persephone tried to pull her head away, but the angle he was holding her at only made the action more painful.

“I’m nothing! Just destroy me!” Tears spilled from her eyes.  _It's now or never. I can't take it anymore._

“Fine. If you're that eager to die–” Grabbing a lightning bolt from his pocket, Zeus rammed it into her stomach. “Be my guest.”

She screamed aloud, the lightning surging through her. She felt her body go numb, and with one last abrupt thump, her heart stopped beating. Blood ran down from her nose and mouth, her immortal aura dissipating. Blinking, she met Zeus' gaze, her vision clouded with black spots and blurring more by the second.

“You missed,” she gurgled out.

A final tear fell from her eye before the life drained from her, and she dropped to the ground.


	3. Massacre

“ _I_ missed? How could I when you're lying dead in front of me, you stupid girl?” Summoning a rag, Zeus wiped her blood from his hands, and glancing around, he noticed that their little commotion hadn't drawn any attention. _Perfect, I'm not in the mood to explain this to anyone. Now what to do with the body?_

He supposed he could show her to Demeter and revel in the Earth Goddess’ wrath. He had warned them both of the consequences for disobeying his order, and Persephone had ignored it.

_Demeter should've learned to keep that girl under control. I'll find a way to deal with it when the time comes._ He returned his attention to Persephone's corpse and chuckled to himself.  _Damn, I should've taken her._

The moment Zeus first saw her during the harvest festival, he had wanted to tear her clothes off and ravage her, and he spent the rest of the party plotting to get her alone with him. However, when he finally got his chance, Persephone had gone from being helpless at his feet to a ravenous animal that was ready to tear him to shreds.

He narrowed his eyes. “What are you?”

He racked his brain for some kind of explanation, but he couldn't find one. Persephone was a goddess through and through, and yet, underneath lurked some kind of monster. The timing of the situation was even more suspicious. It hadn't been that long since Hades' little stunt. Were the two incidents connected, or did the other gods think they had a chance at taking power after his brother tried?

_The nerve of him, releasing the titans against me._ He scowled at the memory.  _Either way, it no longer matters. Hades is imprisoned, and this little brat is dead. No one can take my throne from me._

Sighing, he tried to focus on how he was going to dispose of Persephone. However, he had trouble concentrating and found himself leering at her with half-lidded eyes. She had been born with a unique allure he had not seen. He couldn't tell if it was the way her blood coagulated against her delicate face, or how her thick, luscious lashes cradled her glazed, dead-fish eyes. Or maybe, perhaps, it was how her flesh had turned so pale that, if posed correctly, she could he mistaken for a pristine, marble sculpture.

“Even death cannot taint your beauty.” His mouth watered.  _She should still be warm._

He reached down and snapped open the straps of her dress. Thankfully, he had only done severe damage to her stomach, and even then, it wasn't that bad, a small gash that he could easily ignore. 

He grinned.  _Now onto more important things._

Sliding her straps further down, he frowned at the bindings she was wearing underneath. He ripped them off, revealing the rather huge, supple flesh he had desired to touch all this time. 

He chuckled. “A fertility goddess indeed.”

Before he could finally have the pleasure of his hands against her skin….

“Zeus!”

He froze and groaned.  _As usual, Hera has the worst timing. Maybe if I ignore her, she'll give up._

He reached for Persephone again.

“Zeus, where are you? Is everything alright!”

He closed his eyes, debating over what to do, before deciding to see what his wife wanted.  _I'll make the situation worse if I let her find me like this, but first…._

Grabbing Persephone by her hair, he teleported them in front of the Olympian gates, and opening them, he tossed her out. She landed on the stairs with a loud thud and tumbled all the way down to the bottom. 

_Such a waste._ He closed the gate. “I’m coming, Hera!”

….

_I forgot how bright it was up here._ Hades shielded his eyes once he reached the top of Mt. Olympus. 

He had made sure to bring his helmet of invisibility. There was no point having a confrontation with any of the Olympians if he could avoid it.

_Speaking of which…._ He looked toward the black dragon that pulled his chariot along. “Go hide in the forest below. I don't need anyone seein’ you and figurin’ out I'm here.”

The dragon nodded and descended off the mountain.

_Now to get Persephone back._ He headed in the direction of the gates.  _I hope I'm not too late._

When Hades approached the stairs, his breath caught in his throat, and he was sure, if it was physically possible, that his ichor ran cold. Persephone was lying at the bottom of the stairs. Her matted hair was sprawled out in all directions while her limbs were bent in uncomfortable positions.

The same dark memory flashed in his mind except it was clearer. He saw the young girl from the field of flowers, but she was a little older. Now she was laying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. Her body was much more mangled, and he heard someone scream. It took him a moment to realize the voice was his own, but it was much younger

Hades clutched his head, the memory leaving him sick to his stomach. _It really is…._

Stepping closer, he knelt down beside her. Her face was covered by her hair, and her skin was almost translucent and ice cold to the touch. He turned her over and gasped at the sight of her pain-stricken, lifeless face.

_And her clothes…._ Raising an eyebrow, his gaze drew lower to her torn dress. 

He couldn't see everything, but it was enough to be distracting in a normal situation. Except, this wasn't a normal situation. She was dead, and Hades was now wondering if that was all that had transpired. 

_He… he didn't. He better not have._ He felt his temperature come to a boil at the thought of Zeus going anywhere near her.  _Persephone, what were you thinkin’? Why’d you go to him after what happened before?_

It was a foolish question to ask, for the answer was staring him right in the face. Glancing further down, Hades saw the gaping hole in her abdomen. The skin around it was burnt to the point of being black. Ichor spilled from the wound, but as it kept pouring, he saw that it was turning red.  _Mortal_ red. Running his fingers over the wound, he felt a slight static shock. Zeus had the power to kill a god.

Hades closed his eyes, his body shaking with rage. He knew Persephone had come here of her own volition, but he couldn't help but hate his brother even more. 

_You always gotta take everythin’ from me, don't you, Zeus?_ He put a hand to her face. _I should get her outta here._

He closed her eyes and mended her dress before moving to pick her up.

_“I’m sorry.”_

Pausing, Hades stared at her.

_“I’m sorry. Please, don't hate me.”_

Persephone wasn't moving, but he could hear her voice in his head.

_“I only wanted to protect you. Forgive me.”_

_She's cryin’._ _Has her soul not moved on yet?_ He furrowed his brow. _Am I gonna be able to salvage her?_

He could almost feel the pain her soul was in, and that wasn't a good sign. Not every soul reacted to death the same way. Some kept the same likeness and personality they had in life, some became an empty shell, their former selves a lost memory, and others formed a new identity, trying desperately to forget the trauma they experienced.

_“I… I loved you, Aidi.”_

He froze.  _Did she call me…? It really is her, isn't it?_

_“Get away.”_

Persephone's eyes came to life. They were blood shot, her pupils thinning into slits. Her right hand swiped in Hades' direction, but he moved out of the way. Her body sluggishly reanimated, and she stood with a slumped stance, her legs spread far apart to keep her balance. Her head turned from side to side, her gaze darting around. Her breathing was ragged and heavy, and a faint moan escaped her lips.

Hades watched her. She seemed no different than the normal corpses he had dealt with in the dream. It didn't even look like she could speak, and he could no longer hear her voice in his mind. Persephone stared straight at him and growled, her eyes glowing red.

_How can she see me?_ He touched his helmet.  _Is this thing still workin’?_

Persephone stalked over to him, her hands out reached. She wasn't anywhere near as fast as she was before. She wasn't even baring her claws. However, she could sense Hades' presence, for no matter where he moved, she continued to follow him. Snapping his fingers, he enveloped her in smoky binds and brought her into the shadows where she wouldn't be easily spotted. She kept trying to grab him, but he remained out of her reach.

He sighed.  _What am I gonna do with you?_

The state she was in put a wrench into things. He could still destroy her, but after what he experienced so far, he wasn't sure if that would be the end. He had killed her multiple times in the dream, but she kept coming back. There didn't seem to be any signs that T-201 was present, but he couldn't be too careful.

_That's strange. I know that monster is real, so why hasn't she appeared?_ Hades looked back at the Olympian gates. 

He still hadn't come up with a new plan to take down Zeus, and with the crown jewel he coveted all his life so close, he wasn't ready to go home yet. 

_Ugh, what do I do?_ He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Persephone snarled, her gaze unwavering.

He glanced at her, then back at Olympus, then at her, and then at Olympus. He looked down at his right arm where he had been bitten in the dream.

_“There is one other special property to the T-virus I didn't mention. One bite or scratch from someone infected sentences you to death and afterwards… zombification.”_

Hades heard T-201 laugh in his head and cringed.  _If what that monster said is true…._

T-201 had managed to wound him despite him being immortal, and if things had turned out worse, she probably would’ve killed him.

_Despoina said that Persephone and that monster were connected._ He looked back at Persephone.  _And if everythin’ I learned is true then…._

He stepped closer to her while she continued to growl at him. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he filled her body with a dark essence until her eyes went completely black. Snapping his fingers, the smoky binds around her vanished, and she landed back on the ground. Her stance was rigid, and her face was frozen like she was in a trance.

“Look at what Zeus has done to you, Angel-face. It hurts me to see you like this." Hades clasped his hands against his chest and pouted. "But I know how to make everything all better." He gestured toward Olympus. "Behold, my sweet, a smorgasbord of gods for you to feast on to your heart's content." 

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and tilted her head up to face him with his free hand. 

“And for dessert, Zeus' head gift-wrapped, like I promised.” He heard Persephone hiss in approval, and he smirked.

….

Zeus reached his personal chambers and made his way into the living quarters. He found Hera there along with Demeter. They were chatting amongst each other. He cleared his throat, and his wife looked up with a smile.

“Zeus, there you are.” Hera stood up and walked over to him, her sparkling, pink gown flowing behind her. “What was the commotion outside?”

“Nothing to worry about, dear.” He chuckled. "Hermes delivered a little bad news. It seems some mortals can't remember their place. I'll smite them later.”

“Yes, mortals have a knack for that.” Demeter snorted before shaking her head. “But onto the reason we called you. I'd like to speak with you about Persephone.”

_The Fates won’t cut me a break._ Zeus gave her a stern look. “I will not change my mind, Demeter. The banishment will remain in place.”

She furrowed her brow. “Please, Zeus, could you at least hear me out? My little Kore's gotten much better these past five months. Obedient, respectful, she couldn't be more sweet.”

“That's your biased opinion.” He scoffed. “As far as her punishment, five months is not nearly enough for the crime she committed against me.”

Demeter stood. “But…?”

Hera put a hand on his shoulder. “Dear, perhaps we could call a private meeting, and you can see for yourself whether Persephone has gotten better.”

“No.” His tone was firm, and he shrugged her off. “I am the Lord of Olympus, and no one, god, titan, mortal, or otherwise will disrespect me without repercussions. As for you, Demeter, I don't care how well behaved Persephone becomes. She  _will_ be made an example of. I won't allow anyone to waltz into my kingdom and try to usurp me like that good for nothing brother of ours. If you don't like it, you can blame yourself for failing as a mother, and you should be grateful that I didn't choose worse for her.”

Demeter went silent.

Zeus left the room and returned to his office _. I'll let Demeter return home, and when she realizes her precious daughter isn't there, I'll show her the corpse. Then everything can go back to normal._

….

“Goodness, what's got Zeus so riled up? All those storm clouds frizzed out my hair.” Aphrodite looked into her large, vanity mirror and huffed at her cotton ball, blonde hair. "Ugh, this is going to take forever to undo." 

She grabbed her brush and ran it over her strands, trying her best to straighten them out. Hearing footsteps, she glanced down the hallway right outside of her bed chambers. 

“Hephaestus? Are you leaving already?” she said.

“Yes, honey. I got a tall order from Ares. Shields, spears, and a new set of wheels for his chariot.” He walked over to her, his stumped leg slowing him down a bit. “I’ll be gone all day.”

“Oh, that god and his wars, and right on the night of my Aphrodisia party on Olympus." She stood and gave his husband a kiss. “Well, have a good day at work, dear.”

“I will.” He smiled. “Guess that you'll be spending the whole day preparing?”

“You can't rush perfection, and you know this is my busiest time of year.” She repined her hair. “Poor Eros has run himself ragged all over Greece and parts of Persia getting the mortals ready.”

“Yes, your dance is always the biggest hit of the year.” He chuckled. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“As always, dear.” She continued primping herself.

Aphrodite lost track of the time while she made sure her appearance was polished, smoothed, and not a hair out of place. Making her way over to her wardrobe, she picked out a shimmering, lavender chemise that complimented her pink skin. She walked behind her changing screen and got dressed. 

Hearing the front door creak open, she peered over the screen but didn't see anyone. “Hephaestus?”

There was no response. Furrowing her brow, she pinned the silk straps of her chemise over her shoulders before stepping out to investigate. Making her way to the front hall, she saw that the door had been left ajar. She shut it and sighed.

_Probably the wind. I hope Zeus isn't having another outburst._ She heard something move inside of her bed chambers, and she smiled. “Ares, is that you?”

Once again, there was no response. Aphrodite returned to her bed chambers only to find it empty. She checked under her seashell bed, searched her wardrobe, and glanced behind her changing screen.

“I could have sworn I–” She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “Come on, Ares, it's not like you to be shy. If you're worried, Hephaestus is already gone thanks to that tall order you gave him.”

Putting on a seductive face, she did a little shimmy. 

“Now stop hiding, and let's have some fun.” She was met with silence, making her huff. “Suit yourself.”

Aphrodite returned to her mirror, but when she looked into it, she saw a figure standing right behind her. It looked like a woman, but her body was caked with blood, and there seemed to be no life in her. 

Blinking a few times, she squinted her eyes. “Persephone?”

Snarling, Persephone grabbed onto Aphrodite and bit her shoulder. She screamed, feeling a chunk of her flesh tear away. She tried to pull Persephone off of herself and ended up crashing into the mirror, shattering it. They landed on the floor while Aphrodite tussled and scrambled to break free. She managed to kick Persephone away, but the young goddess slashed her across the face.

Aphrodite stumbled backward toward the bed. Raising her hand, she forced Persephone back with her powers. She took a deep breath, but found it difficult to calm herself. Her body was in pain, but why was she feeling pain? Glancing at her shoulder, she saw that she was bleeding ichor. Touching the sore spot, she flinched, and when she examined her fingers, she saw red. She did the same to her face.

“Mortal blood? I–” A gold chain wrapped around Aphrodite's neck, pulling her onto the bed.

She struggled against it, but the chain pulled down tighter and tighter, almost strangling her. A second chain wrapped around her legs, pinning her down, and hearing an angered hiss, she felt her heart beat quicken. Persephone leapt on top of her and started ripping her flesh apart.

Aphrodite struggled against the chains. “Oh gods, get off me! Get off me! Somebody, help!”

“Aphrodite, babe. I love the way you scream. It's music to my ears.”

Hades appeared on the bed and was sitting beside her head. Reclining back, he watched the spectacle in front of him.

She gasped. “Hades? What are you doing here? Did you–”

Persephone sunk her teeth into Aphrodite's neck.

“Although, this mangled look doesn't do you justice.” He chuckled and shrugged. “Oh well, it works perfectly for my purposes.”

Aphrodite tried to retort, but found herself unable to speak. Her throat and mouth had flooded with blood, and she choked out incomprehensible gurgles.

“What's that, babe? You're sorry, and you wished you stayed on my good side? Aww, how sweet. It almost gets me right here.” Hades gestured toward his heart. “But I'm afraid to say that I've moved on. Yes, that's right. Persephone’s the one for me, and she's far more beautiful than you.”

Aphrodite choked again.

He lowered his head, so that his face was right above hers. “Oh, did I hurt your feelin’s?”

Her vision clouded, and she passed out from loss of blood.

….

Ares tip-toed his way to Aphrodite's private grotto. It had been ingenious thinking on his part to distract Hephaestus with a full load of work, and now he could have the love goddess all to himself.

Reaching the grotto, he made his way inside. Shutting the door, he glanced around and raised an eyebrow at the unsettling silence. However, his mind was too distracted with visions of his body intertwined with Aphrodite's that he shrugged and headed toward her bed chambers.

“Aphrodite?” Ares grinned. “Come out, come out, wherever you are, my sexy, little vixen.”

Entering her chambers, he gasped at the sight of her. She was covered in blood, and her throat was ripped out. He rushed over to her and examined her body, hoping to find a clue.

“What could’ve done this? The teeth marks imply some kind of animal or monster. But what? And how’d it get on Olympus?” He scowled. “Whoever did this to you is gonna pay.”

Ares felt something cold and hard wrap around his neck and pin him down on top of Aphrodite. He tried to move, but he was being held in place by an inhuman force.

“What's going on? Unhand me! You don't know who you're messing with!” From the corner of his eye, he saw something gold glint in the light. “Chains?”

A hissing sound caught Ares’ attention. If he could've jumped, he would have, for Persephone was perched right in front of him. He didn't have time to process what was happening before she started mauling his face.

….

_Oh, that god. How can he manage to be so infuriating?_ Demeter furrowed her brow before clenching her fists and letting out an enraged groan. “What am I going to do, Hera? There has to be someway to smooth this out.”

“You know as well as I do that Zeus is a stubborn mule.” Hera sighed. “If he wants to declare your daughter a traitor, he's within his right to do so.”

Folding her arms, Demeter began to pace. "But  _you_ know as well as  _I_ do, that my Kore was telling the truth. Despite Zeus' desire for all of us to keep a  _family friendly_ appearance to the mortals, we all how he is.”

“Do you honestly believe that makes a difference to me? My husband has taken many women throughout our marriage.” Hera pursed her lips, her pink aura fluctuating. “So long as she doesn’t bear his child, she is not my concern.”

Demeter whirled around with narrowed eyes. “Is that all you have to say? I thought you were on my side?”

“I suggested you speak with Zeus because you begged me, and I pitied you. However, even if Persephone’s not a traitor to our rule, she’s still your daughter.” Hera stood and sneered at her. “She's probably nothing more than a mere whore like you were. Why should I care what transpired?”

Demeter wanted to scream at her sister but resisted, the green leaves on her hat turning orange, red, and brown. She wasn't the same person she was when she was younger, and she had guided Persephone to be a woman of virtue. 

“Very well.” She diverted her gaze. “If that's how you feel about this, then I shall leave.”

A desperate, heart filled cry rang through the air.

She turned around. “What was that?”

Hera's gaze softened, and she stepped forward. “It sounds like Hephaestus.”

More screams echoed from the distance, and Demeter and Hera shared a glance before rushing toward the commotion. They found themselves at Aphrodite's grotto. All the other gods and goddesses were crowded around the house, trying to get a peek.

“Hera, Demeter, oh goodness. You won't believe what's happened.” A goddess with golden skin and long, red hair that was pinned up with reaves rushed over to them. “It's terrible, absolutely terrible. Aphrodite and Ares. Oh gods. Oh gods.”

“What? You mean their little affair, Hestia?” Demeter raised an eyebrow and guffawed. “My, I believe everyone's known about that aside from Hephaestus himself.”

“No, not that.” Hestia voice lowered to a whisper. “They're dead.”

Demeter blinked a few times. “Dead? Surely you jest? That's impossible. There's no way.”

“I wouldn’t joke about such a thing. Go see for yourself.” Hestia summoned a tissue and wiped her eyes. “How could this have happened?”

Hera spotted Zeus standing next to Poseidon and walked over to them. “Zeus, Poseidon, is it true? Are Aphrodite and Ares really?”

Poseidon nodded. “They're probably doing laps in the Underworld by now.”

Hera stared at them with wide eyes. “But how? Did anyone see anything?”

“I don't know.” Zeus frowned and stepped away. “Excuse me.”

“There has to be an explanation for this. Who or what could’ve snuck up here and done this?” Demeter looked at her siblings.  _Or possibly there's a traitor in our mist? Either way, I think it's best I let Kore remained imprisoned at home._

Hera took a deep breath. “That's what we're going to have to figure out.”

….

Zeus appeared in front of the Olympian gates. “There's no way that could have anything to do with–” 

He opened the gates, and looking down, he gasped. Persephone's corpse was missing. He examined all the nearby areas, but didn't see any sign of her. Several chains wrapped around his arms, legs, and head, and in a flash, he was teleported to the farthest room of his private chambers. He tried to get up, but there were so many chains wrapped around him that he had been reduced to an Egyptian mummy. A ring of blue fire bordered the room like a barrier.

He growled the name out. “Hades.”

His brother appeared in front of him, wearing a smirk as devilish as ever.

“Hello, Zeus. Long time no see. How life? Great. Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important matters to attend to. So sit back and relax until I return, and then we can catch up with each other one on one.” He vanished.

Zeus struggled in his binds, but it was no use. The chains were already zapping his power, and he was getting weaker and weaker by the second. 

_Hades wants me out of the way, but for what?_ His eyes widened. “Persephone.”

….

“Out of my way! Move! I mean it! Get back!” Hephaestus stomped his way through the crowd. “Who did this? Who would dare do this? This cruel, sick joke? I'll crush you, whomever you are!”

Everyone in the crowd was silent, doing their best to stay out of his way. 

“Who did this! Who did this! Someone answer me now!” He glared at everyone.

Hera stepped forward. “Hephaestus, calm yourself. No one has done anything. Now let's keep out heads clear and try to figure this out.”

He snarled at her. “It was you, wasn't it? It was bad enough that you cast me from Olympus into the mountains, but you had to make a mockery of my marriage and take my wife from me!”

Hera narrowed her eyes, her tone stern. “Silence! Regardless of our past transgressions, I’m still your mother and the Queen of the Gods. You won’t speak to me in that manner.”

Sighing, Demeter turned and saw her daughter standing before the crowd. “Kore?”

She heard everyone go silent around her, but all she could focus on was her daughter's current state. Persephone stood still, almost lifeless. Her hair was hanging in front of her face, and her body was hunched. Demeter lowered her gaze and saw the giant gash in her abdomen.

Demeter rushed over to her, and examining her face, she gasped. Persephone's mouth was smeared with blood, and her eyes were empty and distant. 

“Oh, in Gaia's name, what happened to you, Kore?” she said.

Hera stepped forward. “What's wrong, Demeter?”

A blood-curtailing scream erupted from Demeter. “No! No! Who did this! Who did this to my Kore!”

Hermes gulped and shrunk back. “Did Zeus…?”

Demeter turned around. “What was that, Hermes?”

“Uh…?” He cleared his throat. “Well, I….”

“Out with it!” She stalked toward him. “Did Zeus have something to do with–”

Her eyes widened, and she screamed at the sting of someone’s teeth piercing into the back of her neck. 

Hestia screamed. “Demeter! No!”

Chains appeared out of thin air and started wrapping around everyone. Screams and shouts erupted through the crowd as all the gods and goddesses were pinned down. Demeter pushed what was attacking her off, only to get chained down as well. A snarl caught her attention.

“Kore? You're…? What has happened to you?” Demeter's breathing was shallow, and she felt dizzy.

Persephone slumped forward, and her footsteps were sluggish and rhythmic like a struggling heartbeat. She got close enough and bent down, her face hovering over her mother’s.

“Kore? Persephone? Can't you hear me? It's your mother,” Demeter said.

Persephone turned her head to the side and stared at her with blank eyes, a faint hiss emitting from her.

“Persephone?” Her voice trembled.  _What happened to her? It's like she's a living corpse._

Raising her right hand, Persephone's delicate fingers split open and were replaced by the bone underneath, which elongated and thickened until they turned into a small set of claws. Her gaze never wavering from her mother's, she swung her claws down at her face.

….

“I guess I should be thanking Aphrodite for giving you the opportunity to finally take a break.” Meg smiled at Hercules while they lounged in the living quarters of their private villa.

It was sometimes difficult to accept how her life managed to turn out. At one point, she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life as Hades' slave, and do to her own foolishness at that. Yet, here she was in a beautiful home, married to a man she loved, and whom truly loved her back.

Hercules sighed. “I know I'm gone for longer than you'd like, but a hero's work is never done.”

Giving him a quick kiss, she cuddled closer to him. 

“I know, but I hope you won't be too busy once the time comes.” She glanced down at the little bump that was forming on her stomach. “It'll probably be a boy.”

“What makes you say that?” He chuckled.

She grinned. “Intuition.”

He nodded. “Well, I don't want you to stress yourself during the party. You should take it easy.”

“Don't worry, Wonder-boy.” She laughed. “I’m not that immobile yet.”

He didn't look convinced, but dropped the subject. “Anyway, you're gonna love meeting my friends from Prometheus Academy. I've been looking forward to this reunion all year.”

“Yes, from what you've told me, I believe Cassandra and I will get along swimmingly. Ooooh.” She placed a hand on her stomach.

He furrowed his brow. “What happened? What's wrong?”

“It’s alright. Calm down.” She took a deep breath. “I think he's getting your strength. Although, I could use some water.”

“Of course. I'll be right back.” He sprung to his feet and rushed out of the room.

Meg sighed and shook her head. Hercules had become very overprotective since she announced that she was with child, but she knew he was only nervous. 

_Him? Ha, like I know what I'm doing? Am I gonna be any good? Maybe that's why I'm hoping for a son. I can handle a Wonder-boy Jr, but I don't want a girl like me, making the same mistakes I did._ She sighed.  _Besides, Hercules deserves a son as a proper heir, and I’ll become a perfect wife. What every woman dreams of I guess._

She couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness eat away at her heart. As happy as she was, she knew what achieving this lifestyle meant. Her adventures were over. There’d be no more danger, no more Underworld, and no more roaming all over Greece recruiting monsters.

_And especially no more nights in Hades' bedchambers._ She recalled how furious he was after his nymph girlfriend left him.  _What was her name? Mint or something? I never expected her to leave him. Smartest thing that ditz ever did_ . 

Unfortunately for Meg, Minthe's absence meant she had to take on the new task of being Hades' personal whore. She had done her best to keep that part of her servitude a secret from Hercules. 

_He wouldn't be able to handle it if he knew, and I'd rather forget about it all together. At least I don't have to worry about Hades darkening my doorstep ever again._ She leaned back against the couch. “Good riddance.”

Hercules returned to the room with a large goblet. “Here, Meg.”

“Thank you.” She took the goblet from him and started to drink, the water relaxing her.

Moments later the doors burst open, and a satyr ran into the room. “Herc, I need you out here! We got a situation!”

Hercules looked at him. “What's going on, Phil?”

“I don't know, but something’s goin’ down on Mt. Olympus.” Phil pointed to the doors. “Come and see.”

Hercules sighed before looking at Meg. “Sorry.”

“It's okay.” She stood. “I’m actually curious about this myself.” 

They headed outside to the courtyard. Pegasus neighed and gestured up.

Meg gasped. “The sky.”

It was red and cast a haze over the earth. Mt. Olympus itself was shrouded in a deep crimson fog that made it look like it was drowning in blood. The sun flickered until it extinguished, casting the whole mortal world into darkness.

“Oh my gosh.” Hercules' eyes widened.

Meg stepped forward. "What's causing this?" 

“Hurry, get inside, and I'll go see what's going on.” Hercules guided her back through the door.

“I’m okay. Nothing's gonna happen to me all the way out here.” However, she could tell he wasn't listening to a word she was saying, and he kept moving her until she was all the way inside.

He then looked at Phil. “Can you look after her, please?”

“No problem.” Phil folded his arms. “But watch yourself, Kid. Whatever's goin’ on up there, it doesn't look pretty.”

“I will.” Hercules nodded to Meg. “Don't worry, Meg. I'll be back soon.” 

Meg watched him take off on Pegasus and sighed. “Be careful, Wonder-boy.”


	4. Beracuse

Hades stared at the carnage around him. The once grand kingdom of Olympus had been reduced to a common slaughter house. The bodies of the gods and goddesses were strewn about, and their blood soaked into the clouds, changing the atmosphere into a red omen of death. Some of them were unrecognizable.

_Where does she put it all?_ Hades raised an eyebrow while he watched Persephone feast on the remains of Morpheus. 

No matter how many bodies she claimed, her stamina never faltered. It was like her stomach was a bottomless pit. 

He held out his hand, beckoning her to him. “Come on, babe, we're done with the small fry. It's time to pay Zeus a visit.”

Persephone shifted her gaze between him and the corpses before hissing and moving away from her meal. Once she was at his side, he waved his hand, and the chains that had been restraining the gods vanished. They were no longer a threat to him, and he suspected that his actions would draw some unwanted yet wanted attention.

_Come and get me, Wonder-breath._ Grinning, Hades teleported Persephone and himself right outside of the room Zeus was in. 

Peering inside, he could tell that his brother had been struggling the entire time. Zeus was lying down, his breathing heavy. His hair was disheveled, and his body had gone limp from the chains. 

_Good._ Hades left Persephone behind in the shadows and entered the room. “Sorry to keep you waitin’. The other festivities took longer than expected.”

Zeus lifted his head as best as he could and glared at him. “What have you done? I could hear everyone screaming!”

“Hey, tone it down.” Hades rubbed his left ear. “Remember when mumsy taught us to use our inside voices? Oh wait, you wouldn't because while you were frolickin’ around fun and fancy free, I was trapped inside of daddy dearest.”

He gave Zeus a gritted smile before creating a chair from the clouds and sitting down.

“Don't play games with me, Hades!” Zeus looked like he could strangle him at any moment.

Hades sighed and held up his hands. “Okay, okay. I won't leave you in suspense any longer. You're entire pantheon is dead.”

“What do you mean?” Zeus' eyes widened.

“They're dead, livin’ on the wrong side of the grass, pushin’ up daises.” Reaching into his chiton, he pulled out Hera's crown and tossed it at Zeus' feet, and the horror on his brother's face made him chuckle. “You're the only one left, but before you join the others, let's have a little trial.” 

Snapping his fingers, he willed Persephone into the room. 

“I’m sure you remember this lovely, leadin’ lady?” he said.

Zeus glanced at her. “I knew it. I knew that bitch was with you. I should've killed her the first time.”

“Sorry to break it to you, bro, but this–” Hades gestured toward Persephone's current state. “Isn't my handiwork. However, when life gives you olives….” 

Standing up, he walked over to her and lifted her head to show off her blood-stained face. 

“Now, I'll be representin’ Persephone in this case given her current incapacitation. Accordin’ to my client, you're responsible for this predicament, and be careful how you plead. Your reputation is already a strike against you.”

“Responsible? The only thing I did was kill that monster.” Zeus laughed. “Though, I have to give you some credit. You almost got me. She truly was a beauty, and I enjoyed every minute of her.”

“Excuse me?” Hades raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, she was glorious. Better than her mother I'd say.” Zeus grinned. “Of course, I'm sure you already know. No man or god could have a specimen like her under their employ without taking her for all she's worth.”

Hades stared at his brother. He'd kill him. He'd make the bastard wish he was never born. Taking a deep breath, he tried to keep calm, but Zeus' arrogance made him enraged. However, he knew he had to be careful. If Zeus caught whiff of his actual feelings, Hades would never hear the end of it. 

“Well–” Narrowing his eyes, he clasped his hands together. “No further questions as the defendant has openly declared himself guilty. And now for your sentence. He's all yours, babe, and be sure to make it slow. I wanna be entertained.”

With a growl, Persephone elongated her claws and made her way over to Zeus.

He struggled in his chains, making a feeble attempt to escape. “You'll never get away with this, Hades! I swear by my name, I'll–”

“Sorry, but your name doesn't account for much anymore.” Hades smirked while he sat down.

….

Hercules soared toward Mt. Olympus as fast as Pegasus' wings could carry them. His heart was pounding in his chest. He had to know if everything was okay, but from the looks of things, he wondered if he was too late. With the sudden death of the sun, stormy clouds had filled the sky, and thunder continued to boom all around them.

“I hope everyone is alright,” Hercules said. 

He heard Pegasus neigh in agreement. They landed before the Olympian gates and were greeted with a putrid scent. 

He covered his nose. “What is that?”

It smelled like blood and rotten flesh mixed together, and Hercules did his best not to vomit. Pegasus squealed and retreated, making Hercules jerk forward.

“Pegasus, it's okay.” Hercules petted the horse's mane. 

However, the smell had set off his companion's instincts, and Pegasus kept bucking backward until he accidentally knocked Hercules off. 

He stood up and put a hand to the horse's face. “Please, you need to calm down. It's okay.”

Pegasus neighed, but he was still shaken up. Hercules looked around. Olympus was filled with a bone-chilling silence. The only noise he could make out were the Olympian gates, which creaked open and closed with the faint breeze.

“Who could've done this?” He racked his brain for clues, and a shiver ran down his spine. “I haven't seen anything this bad since the Titans were released. No, it couldn't be. I defeated Hades. He'd know better than to show his face around here again.”

Pegasus nodded.

“But… I don't know–” Hercules furrowed his brow. “This aura surrounding us seems different, doesn't it?”

Pegasus sniffed the air before cowering underneath his wings.

“Yeah, that's what I was thinking.” Hercules frowned. 

Sure Hades reeked of death, but it was more subtle, like a shadow sneaking up from behind. This aura, on the other hand, seemed much more dangerous; it punched Hercules in the gut and injected his veins with fear. 

“Hero rule number sixty-three, a hero never backs down when there are people in need.” Taking a deep breath, he made his way up the stairs, but Pegasus quickly blocked his path. “What are you doing?”

Snorting, Pegasus shook his head before trying to nudge him away from the gates.

“Come on. We have to do this,” he said. 

Hercules stepped around him, but Pegasus bit his cape and tried to pull him back. 

“Stop it.” He yanked his cape away and stepped through the gates. “If you're worried, you can wait here. I'll be right back.”

He shut the gate, and Pegasus squealed in protest, his front hooves pressing against the gates.

Venturing further into the kingdom, Hercules noticed that the sickening smell was getting stronger. “Hello? Is anyone there? Mother? Father?”

There was no response, and there didn't seem to be any life lurking about anywhere. A sudden chorus of howls sounded off in the distance. 

“Must be Ares' hounds. There has to be someone. Father! Hermes! Athena! Please, someone answer!” His breath hitched in his throat. _No. No. No._

Hercules reached one of the central courtyards, and not too far away was one of the Olympians' homes. Judging by the hearts decorating it, he could tell it belonged to Aphrodite. Looking ahead, he gasped. Scattered everywhere were the bodies of the Olympians. They had been ripped apart limb from limb, and the vile sight completely stunned him.

_They're dead. But how? What did this?_ Amongst the pile, he spotted Hera. “Mother?”

Rushing over, he knelt beside her and lifted her into his arms. Her hair was caked with blood, and half of her face had been chewed off. 

“This is worse than I thought,” he said.

Hera let out a faint gasp, and her eyes opened. She seemed to be breathing, but it was so shallow that he couldn't even see her chest move. Her voice was hoarse and rattled when she moaned. 

Hercules shook her. “Mother? Are you alright? What happened?”

Hera sat up in his arms and sunk her teeth into his shoulder.

“Aaaah! Mother, what are you doing? Stop it!” Grabbing a handful of her hair, he yanked her off. 

She took a large chunk of his flesh with her. He screamed before bringing himself to his feet.

Hera stood, her body moving like a rag doll, and she stumbled over to him. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head, and her face was lifeless.

_I don't understand. She was dead a minute ago._ Hercules furrowed his brow. “Mother, it's me. Hercules.”

However, he only received a snarl in reply, and then heard several moans sound off behind him. Turning around, he saw the corpses of the rest of the Olympians reanimate.

_No, they were all dead. How are they coming back to life like this?_ He looked around.  _There has to be someone pulling the strings._

Hera lunged at him, knocking him over. She was strong, her hands pushing down on his chest while she tried to take a bite out of his face. Hercules grabbed hold of her head, trying to push her away, but with a sickening crack, accidentally crushed her skull in. Her body went limp and slumped to the side. However, he didn't have time to feel shocked, for the rest of the horde was now towering down to grab him.

_I'm going to have to fight them._ Tears formed in his eyes. _I'm sorry, everyone. Who's cruel idea was this, forcing me to fight my own friends and family? When I find the one responsible, they're going to regret it._

Hercules punched at several of the corpses, sending them flying into the nearby pillars. He dodge rolled out of the horde before retrieving his sword. He swiped at the corpses with his sword, cutting off the arms and hands that reached out for him. Another corpse got back up after having its arms hacked off and spewed vomit all over his face. It burned his skin, and he screamed, falling back on the floor. The corpses were able to dog pile on top of him, and he struggled to keep them away.

Hercules opened his eyes, despite the pain. “Help!”

Hearing a loud, metallic crash and a concerned neigh, Hercules looked up and saw Pegasus flying towards him. Pegasus landed and back-kicked the corpses off of him. With some room to move, Hercules stood and punched the remaining ones away.

He mounted Pegasus. “Thanks, buddy. Let's go.”

Howls echoed around them, and before Pegasus could get more than a few feet in the air, they were dragged to the floor. Hercules tumbled off, and his companion's cries filled his ears. Looking ahead, he saw Pegasus getting ripped apart by a pack of hounds, Ares' hounds. The dogs were as decayed and demonic looking as the Olympians.

“Pegasus!” Hercules got up, but one of the dogs pounced on top him. 

He struggled against it, but was able to twist the dog's head and snap its neck. He tossed the dog away, but when he stood, he realized he was too late. Pegasus' neck had been torn out.

“No!” he said.

The rest of the dogs zeroed in on Hercules, and he had no choice but to run. However, he didn't know where to go. It was a long way down the mountain, and he didn't think it was a good idea to let these things get out.

_There has to be a better way to fight them._ In the distance, he heard Zeus scream.  _Father? It sounded like it was coming from the palace. I have to find him._

….

Hades smiled to himself. Zeus' screams rang through the air while Persephone sliced him up with her claws. She made shallow, delicate cuts, and waited for Zeus' reaction before hissing in approval and doing it again. She seemed to take sadistic pleasure in playing with her food.

Zeus gritted his teeth, trying to suppress a groan. “You'll regret this. I promise.”

“Uh, let me think.” Hades tapped his chin before shaking his head. “No, I don't think so.”

“Father!”

_I know that voice._ Frowning, Hades looked in the direction of the outburst and saw Hercules run into the room with his sword raised.  _So the undead didn't take him out. Of course. Persistent, little yutz._

Snapping his fingers, he teleported Persephone to his side before Hercules could take her head off. The demigod halted in his tracks before turning and rushing over to Zeus. 

“Father? Are you alright?” Using his sword, Hercules broke the chains.

Hades watched the exchange, flames flaring across his body.  _Great. Just great._

Before he could scream in outrage, something caught his attention. Hercules' face and neck was melted, like someone had thrown acid on him, and there was a bite mark on his shoulder. 

_A bite? Hmm. This turned out better than I thought._ He stood. “Well, well, if it isn't Jerkules. Come to save daddy, have you? How sweet, but you're too late.”

“Hades.” Hercules glared at him. “What have you done to the others?”

“Oh, it's a long story.” Hades smirked. “We'll have more time once I send you both on a one way trip to Tartarus.”

Zeus brought himself to his feet, and thunder and lightning crashed all around them. “This ends now, Hades.”

“A fight to the death?" Hades examined them with a raised eyebrow before shrugging. “Fine by me, but to keep things fair–”

At the snap of his fingers, Persephone pounced onto Hercules. He was unable to push her off, and they tumbled across the floor until they rolled off the edge of the room and onto a lower level.

“Son!” Zeus was about to go after them, but Hades blocked his path with a wall of fire.

“Ah, ah, ah. No helpin’, Zeus.” Hades chuckled. “This is between you and me.”

“So be it.” Zeus glared at him. “I’ll make sure you and that bitch suffer for the rest of eternity.”

A large bolt of lightning shot through the clouds and aimed right at Hades, but he moved out of the way before it could hit him. 

“Face it, Zeusy, your time is up. Olympus is mine now, like it always should've been.” He created a broad sword with his flames.

Lightning surged around Zeus, and he formed a sword-like bolt in his hand. They charged at each other, and they're swords clashed, creating sparks. Hades did his best to force Zeus back. His brother still had a lot of strength to spare, and Zeus was able to shove him away and take a swipe at his head. Hades ducked and slashed at Zeus' right leg. 

It was a clean cut that seared through his brother's calf, causing him to fall on his side. Hades stood and swung his sword down, but Zeus blocked it, sparks flying everywhere. He managed to have Zeus pinned down, but another lightning bolt struck toward him, forcing him to move.

Zeus stood. “As long as I breathe, Olympus will never be yours.”

“I can fix that.” Hades charged at him again.

….

Hercules managed to shove Persephone away, and she skidded across the floor, her claws digging into the earth beneath the clouds. He readied himself and observed her with caution. She didn't look familiar to him. Was she a mortal, a demigoddess, or possibly a full-fledged one? Whomever she was, she was now decayed like the rest of the Olympians, except for her clawed hand.

_Was she the source of all this?_ Hercules furrowed his brow.  _Hades was keeping her pretty close. He must have turned this poor girl into a monster and unleashed her on everyone. He's gonna pay._

Persephone charged at him, her claws raised. However, he was able to dodge her swing and punched her so hard in the torso that he pierced a hole right through her. He grabbed her by her left arm and threw her into a pillar, ripping the arm clean off.

Hercules tossed the arm aside and tried to control his breathing. He didn't know why, but he was feeling dizzy. His heart palpitated, and he dropped to his knees. 

“What…?” His veins felt like they were on fire.

Persephone stood back up and regenerated her stomach and arm. Letting out a ferocious roar, she charged at him again. Hercules mustered all of his strength and caught her claw with his left fist. He gasped. His bone shattered on impact, and he felt his arm go limp. No matter what he did, he couldn't move it. He tried to punch her with his right hand, but before he could, she stabbed him in the gut with a long tentacle.

Hercules' body felt weak, and any wrong movement he made would land him dead. Laughter rang around him. It sounded female, but quickly became more and more demonic. His eyes darted from side to side in search of the source, but he realized it was coming from the monster in front of him. 

“You're… alive?” he said.

Persephone began to mutate and grow, and she soon stood several inches taller than him. Her flesh shredded from her body, revealing a yellowish, milky second skin underneath, and tentacles sprouted in place of her hair. Her clawed hand grew until it was completely crushing his arm, and skeletal spikes peaked through her skull, forming a crown shape on her head.

She continued to laugh and smirked at him. “So you're the one he's been worried about all this time.”

A large, third eye formed on her forehead and stared straight at him. Hercules felt the tentacle in his stomach move around, trying to split him open further, and he cried aloud.

Persephone brought her face close to his. “Not much of a challenge, I'd say.”

She ripped the tentacle out of his stomach, disemboweling him. Feeling his internal organs spill forward, Hercules welcomed the inevitable darkness that embraced him with only one final word escaping his lips. 

“Meg.”

….

Lightning and fire crashed and flew all over, and neither brother was willing to back down. No matter what trick they tried, the end result was them locking blades, trying to over power the other. However, it was clear that despite Zeus' strength, the infection was taking its toll. His attacks had become more reckless while his reflexes slowed down, allowing Hades several successful hits.

_I thought he'd wear down faster than this._ Hades met Zeus' gaze. “Had enough? You seem to be slippin’ up.”

Zeus made his sword vanish, allowing Hades to slice his arm, and punched him in the face. “I could on for eternity.”

Hades staggered back, and scowling, he rubbed his cheek. _Maybe this wasn't the best idea. No, I'm so close. I can't give up now._

He swiped his sword, but Zeus dodged it, punching him in the side and a second time in the face. Hades felt to the floor, his sword dissipating from his hand.

“It's over!” Zeus summoned another lightning bolt from the sky, but stopped in mid strike.

The bolt missed Hades by an inch, and he stared at his brother. Zeus' skin slowly turned pale, and he started shaking and sweating like he had one of those mortal diseases. Gasping for air, he lost his balance and dropped to his knees.

Zeus coughed. “What's happening?”

Hades laughed. “Looks like all that movin’ around made the virus spread faster.”

“Virus?” Zeus wrapped his arms around his torso and threw up.

“What? You actually that I'd fight you one on one without a little leverage?” He smirked, summoning a fireball in his hand.

Zeus growled and stood, his hand surging with lightning. They collided, creating a huge explosion, and they were both knocked away. Hades tumbled until he collided with a pillar and slid down to the floor. Coughing, he tried to regain his composure, and when the smoke cleared, he couldn't see Zeus anywhere.

“Zeus? Zeusy?” Hades searched the room. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” 

He was met with an unsettling silence; making his way over to where Hercules and Persephone fell, he saw that they were gone. 

“Persephone?” He had been so focused on his brother that he hadn't paid any attention to her fight. “Damn. Where'd she go? Persephone!”

Laughter rang through the air.

_“There was a friendly but naive King,_

_Who wed a very nasty Queen.”_

Hades turned in the direction of the singing and laughter and spotted a figure standing off in the distance.  _No, it couldn't be._

It was T-201. Her back was turned to him, her attention focused on the desolate kingdom surrounding them.

_“The King was loved but,_

_The Queen was feared.”_

“Oh, darling, aren't you a knight in shining armor? Not only that, but treating me to dinner as well?” She turned around. “And I thought you didn't like me.”

“T-201?” He narrowed his eyes. “But you… Persephone's supposed to be dead.”

“Oh yeah, that lightning bolt did a real number on us, but thanks to you, I'm back.”She smiled. “And you’re welcome, by the way. Hercules and Zeus were such easy pickin’s. I’m surprised you’ve had such a hard time with them.”

Hades examined the blood staining her mutated body. He should've been excited that one of his schemes worked, but he couldn't muster up any feelings of joy. No, T-201's presence only made him anxious. 

He frowned. “Where's Persephone?”

“Gone I'm afraid. Fine by me. I've had it up to here with her whining.” She clasped her clawed hand with her regular one and spoke in a childish tone. “Aidi, Aidi, please don't hurt Aidi.” She scowled. “The ungrateful, little shit, after all I've done for her. But why worry about the past? Let's focus on the here and now, and me as the new ruler of Olympus.”

“You?” Hades shook his head. “Sorry, babe, but Olympus is mine.”

“Why? I'm the one who did all the work, and now my legacy has been planted.” She laughed. “It's only proper for me to continue, and you'll make a fine specimen.”

“This again? Look, you freak, I'm not interested in becomin’ one of those things.” Hades formed a fireball in his right hand. "And you're not getting Olympus either." Moans echoed around them; looking ahead, he saw the undead gods coming toward them.  _All the commotion must have drawn their attention._

“You think you can take Olympus from me?” T-201 glanced back at the undead gods before smirking. “You and what army?” 

Charging up her clawed hand, she sent a surge of electricity at him.

Hades teleported out of the way and reappeared behind one of the pillars.  _This isn't happenin’. After, I've already gotten this far._

The undead gods would be easy to deal with, but he wasn't too sure about T-201.

_She almost killed me twice. Although, most of that was a dream. She couldn't be as powerful in the real world. Still, it'd be best to get rid of her quickly._

“What's the matter, little boy, scared?” T-201 chuckled.

“Far from it.” Hades put on his invisibility helmet and aimed a fireball straight at her, but she dodged it.

Growling, she scanned the area, her third eye moving in all directions. “Hiding in the shadows, are we? How heroic of you.”

“Since when did I give the impression that I was a hero?” Hades narrowed his eyes.

T-201 immediately sensed his location and sent another surge of electricity at him. He teleported to one of the pillars behind her for a better vantage point.

She scowled at the lack of a hit and continued to search the room. “Oh, I don't know. Perhaps your epic quest to rescue the fair maiden? You did, after all, come here for  _her_ , didn't you?”

_So what if I did?_ Hades remained quiet. _That doesn't put me on the same level as Jerkules or the other lunkheads I see floatin’ into the Elysian Fields_ . 

T-201's back was still turned to him, and the undead gods hovered close to her, like loyal drones to their queen. 

“Don't be such a coward, Hades!” T-201 hissed. “Come out and play with me. I won't bite more than once.”

_Yeesh. I doubt that._ Summoning all of his power, he unleashed a giant wave of fire.

T-201 turned, all three of her eyes widening, but she vanished before it could hit her. However, the undead gods remained unaware and were caught in the crossfire. When the wave dispersed, there was nothing left but ash. T-201 reappeared in the center of the room.

Hades frowned.  _Well, that took care of the small fry._

Her eyes glowed red. “So that's how you want to play it?”

Striking her claws into the clouds, she sent several surges of electricity in his direction, but he moved to another side before it could hit him. The electricity completely demolished the pillars, scattering debris everywhere. She sniffed the air. 

“You might as well give up your little game of hide and seek! I can smell your vitality!” She shot electricity at all the pillars until everything was destroyed. “I wouldn't try any sneak attacks if I were you. Any time you hurt me, you're hurting her.”

_What?_ Hades had appeared right behind her and began to step back.

“That's right. This isn't the dream world anymore. If I go, she goes forever. So go on. Kill me. I dare you.” T-201 smelled the air and turned around, her voice hissing with glee. “Found you.”

She pounced on top of Hades before he could react, and they tumbled across the floor. He gripped her shoulders and lit her aflame. She screeched, but instead of letting go, she pressed her claws against his chest and electrocuted him. He screamed while the bolts surged through his body, making his helmet slip off.

T-201 cackled. “Oh my, how cruel. I can hear her screaming in agony right now. Perhaps you didn't really come to save her. Wouldn't surprise me. I've been telling her all along that Olympus is the only thing you care about.”

_If Persephone is connected to this monster, is there some way to reach her?_ Hades grunted. “That's not true. Angel-face, if you can hear this, I came here to find you. Your sister sent me.”

“Sister?” T-201 growled.

Hades let his temper rise until his flames exploded, blasting her off of him. She fell back on the floor, her skin singed, but it started regenerating. He moved to attack her, but she managed to jump up and slash him across the chest with her claws. He gasped, feeling her sharp digits shred right through his clothes and into his skin. He dropped to his knees.

“You're mine!” T-201 swung her claws back, ready to take off his head. 

However, her hand stopped a mere centimeter away from his neck, and the rest of her body soon followed. She strained to move, her face contorting with frustration. She started to glow with a light blue aura, and she levitated into the air.

Hades clutched his chest and watched while T-201 was flung, spun, and smashed against the floor.  _That light. It's a soul, but which one?_

“No! You're supposed to be dead!” T-201 collapsed on the floor and roared. “I’m in charge now! Me!” 

She clutched her head and screamed. A light burst from her chest and landed a few feet away. She fell forward, her skin rippling and splitting.

Hades stared at the light. At first it looked like a blob, but it reformed into a person, making his eyes widen. 

“Persephone?” Her soul was floating amongst the clouds, and she was unconscious. He shifted his gaze between her and T-201.  _There really are two of them._

“That bitch!” T-201 snarled at Hades and charged at him. “Don't think you're getting a happy ending! You can't beat me!”

Hades was about to move when he noticed a gaping hole in her chest that was glowing with spiritual energy.  _If I hit her there…._

He turned his left arm into a smoky tendril, and right as T-201 was close enough, he stabbed her all the way through to her heart. The bone cage around her heart shattered, and the massive organ tore away from the ligaments on her back and fell on the floor behind her. Hades ripped his arm out of her torso, and watched her stumble back and screech.

She glared at him. “You think that did anything? I can always–”

She tried to regenerate, but found herself unable to. “What?”

Looking down, she saw that the hole in her chest had been filled with a fire that burned her from the inside. She tried to heal herself again, but could only watch flecks of her flesh fall off and float into the air.

“Sorry, babe, but it looks like you've run out of lives.” Hades smirked and stood up. “Game over.”

T-201 choked, the flames reaching her throat, and her outer skin began to blacken. 

“Alright, you've got me, but don't think you've won. My legacy will reign!” She seethed. “So enjoy your precious maiden while you can, for you saved her only to break her all over again!” 

The fire reached her eyes and mouth, making her look demonic while she mocked him, and within seconds, her body evaporated into ash while her sinister laughter rang through the air.

Hades heaved a deep sigh.  _I did it! After everything, I finally won._

He could feel immense pride and excitement taking over him, but a sharp pain put an immediate halt in his mini celebration. He looked down at the wound. There were four precise lines that had been cut from the lower left to the upper right side of his chest. 

_Shit. I shouldn't have let myself get so close to that thing, but I should be able to heal it. It's no big deal._ He looked at Persephone.  _Without her body, I'll have to find a different way to revive her. For now, I'll bring her to the Underworld, so her soul can wake up_ . 

He walked over to her and gathered her in his arms. Summoning his chariot, he left Olympus.

….

“Persephone! Persephone, where are you?”

Hercules groaned. All he could remember was excruciating pain, but now he felt nothing. Why did he feel nothing? It didn't seem normal. He could no longer feel the weight of his body against the ground, he couldn't even feel the ground, and he didn't know if it was the ground at all. All he knew was that he was being blocked by a solid surface that kept him from floating beyond its borders.

_Floating?_ Hercules furrowed his brow.

“Persephone! Persephone, please answer me! It's your mother!”

“Settle down, Demeter. This isn't going to solve anything.”

“Hush, all of you. I think he's waking up.”

_That was mother's voice_ . Opening his eyes, Hercules saw Hera leaning over him, and he could see right through her. “Mother?”

“Oh, thank Gaia.” Hera hugged him tightly. “My poor dear. I'm sorry he got to you too.”

Hercules remained silent and continued to look around. They were in some kind of cave filled with a red haze, and the only opening was sealed by a large gate. All of the Olympians that he had seen massacred a few moments ago were now trapped here as souls. 

_Souls, but…?_ Looking down at himself, he gasped. “I’m dead? No. No!”

“Shush.” Hera continued to comfort him. “This was Hades' doing. You did your best, son.”

_Hades. That's right._ The memories flooded back into Hercules' mind. “But what about Father? He was with me.”

“Okay, Zeus, time for your eternal torment!”

Everyone looked up and saw Pain and Panic at the gate. They opened it and shoved Zeus' soul inside. Gasps and cries erupted amongst the Olympians, and Hera quickly rushed to her husband's side. Hercules stared at his father. He looked much worse than when they had been on Olympus.

Panic shut the gate and locked it. “Have fun.” 

Laughing, he flew away with Pain.

“No, this can't be.” Hera cradled Zeus close to her. He was still out of it but was slowly coming to. “How could the Fates allow something like this to befall us?”

“Father? But if you're… then that means–” Hercules jumped to his feet. “Hades is still out there. He'll go after Meg. We can't stay here. We have to find a way out.”

“Don't worry, Wonder-breath, I promise I'll be gentle with her.” Hades appeared outside of the gate.

“Leave Meg alone!” he said. 

Hercules charged at the gate only to be knocked back by a barrier. He felt nothing when he collided with the ground, but he still groaned out of reflex. Hearing laughter, he sat up and glared at Hades.

“Nice try, but you're in my underworld now.” He smirked.

Hercules stood up. “You can't keep us here.”

“Actually, I can, specifically you.” He pressed his fingers together. “We had a deal, didn't we?  _She_ goes.  _You_ stay.”

Hercules choked back a reply. He didn't want to admit it, but Hades was right.

Hades turned his attention to Zeus. “You don't know how long I've waited to get you down here. How does it feel to be the ex-ruler of Olympus?”

Zeus stormed over to the gate and stopped right in front of the barrier. “You bastard, I'll…!”

Demeter pushed Zeus out of her way, pure rage enveloping her soul. “What did you do to my Kore? How dare you turn her into a monster and force her to kill us all!”

_The monster was a daughter of Demeter?_ Hercules stared at the Earth Goddess.  _But the girl… she was still alive, wasn't she? Hades seemed to be controlling her like some kind of puppet_ . 

Hades looked a little taken back, but shook his head and grinned. “Demeter, babe, it's been a while.”

“Don't you  _babe_ me!” Demeter scowled at him. “Where's my daughter? Give her back this instant!”

“Hey, don't look at me.” He gestured to himself. “I’m not the bad guy here.”

Everyone gave Hades a deadpan stare.

Hercules rolled his eyes. “Yeah right.”

“Okay, okay, I may be the bad guy most of the time.” Hades shrugged. “But you're gonna have to point that sword at daddy, Junior, since he's the one who raped and killed Demeter's little princess.”

Demeter's eyes widened. “What?”

_Huh?_ Hercules looked at his father. “What is he talking about?”

Zeus had an expression that Hercules had only seen when his father was going to smite someone. “He's lying.”

“Really?” Hades raised an eyebrow. “So I completely misunderstood you when you said  _you enjoyed every minute of her_ , and that it’d be foolish for any man or god not to  _take her for all she's worth_ ?”

“Enough!” Demeter glared at everyone. “Someone explain to me what is going on this instant! Hermes told me that Persephone came to Olympus to speak with you!”

“Well, it looks like all of you have a lot to catch up on.” Hades stepped away while giving everyone a smug look. “In the meantime, I've got a few personal affairs to attend to.” 

He vanished in a puff of smoke, and Hercules ran to the gate but remembered to stay away from the barrier. 

“Wait! Don't you dare go anywhere near Meg! You'll regret it! I promise!” Receiving no response, Hercules sank to the ground, ignoring the feud breaking out between Demeter and his father. _I failed. I failed to protect her, to rescue everyone._ _I'm sorry, Meg. I'm so sorry._


	5. A Flower's Sad Song

Hades returned to the palace, grinning the whole way. _Oh, this is too priceless. Someone pinch me. I'm dreamin’._

Reaching the throne room, he glanced around. It seemed like only yesterday when he first came down here after the inauguration. He had been terrified knowing his father was imprisoned not too far away. 

That had truly been a miserable time for him, not to mention a lonely one. The moment he drew the lot for the Underworld, he had been shunned by everyone. Now everything was going to change. Soon he would be sitting amongst the stars and clouds, the whole world at his mercy. 

_But first things first._ He headed upstairs and made his way to Persephone's bedchambers. 

Hades hoped that her soul was in a decent state. Otherwise, it would be difficult to revive her. A soul had to be willing to return to the living, or else he would risk turning her into some kind of phantom or banshee. Prying open the collar of his chiton, he peered down at his chest. He had healed the wound earlier, and it didn't show any signs of returning like it had in the dream.

_Good. I've come too far to be held back by some silly, little virus._ Hades opened the door leading to Persephone's bedchambers and stepped aside.

The room had been filled to the brim with gifts. Beautiful gowns, sandals, jewelry, anything Hades could think of that might win Persephone's favor. Pain and Panic were sitting on the edge of the bed, watching over her. She was lying underneath the covers, her hands neatly folded over her chest. Her soul was enveloped in a peaceful slumber.

"Well, it's official, boys. You're looking at the new Lord of Olympus." Receiving applause from the imps, he bowed. "Thank you. Thank you very much."

"Did you see the look on everyone's faces when we brought Zeus?" Pain laughed.

Panic nodded. "There was so much hopelessness in that cave you could almost taste it."

"Yes, there'll be plenty of time to torture them later." Hades walked over to the bed. "Now how's our little patient doing?"

Panic shook his head. "She hasn't moved at all, Boss."

"That's strange." Hades furrowed his brow. "Her soul should've woken up by now. Unless…." His eyes widened. "That's right. She was already dead."

"What do you mean?" Pain raised an eyebrow.

Hades recalled what he had been told by T-201. "She died a long time ago, and if that's the case, then she must've accepted her death."

Pain looked at Persephone. "Then what do we do?"

"I'll take care of it." He sighed. "You two make yourselves useful and find me some new minions."

"What?" Panic gasped. "You're replacing us?"

"As tempting as that is, no. If Persephone's going to be my Queen, she's going to need some servants of her own." He handed Pain a small scroll. "Here's who I want you to get and where to find them."

"We're on it, Boss." Panic saluted him before leaving the room with Pain.

Hades sat on the edge of the bed.  _There's only one solution I can think of, but I usually reserve that procedure for the souls in Tartarus._ Moving closer, he lightly brushed her hair from her face.  _Then again, it might not be that bad._ There were still so many questions swimming in his mind that had been left unanswered, and he wanted to be with her. "I'll risk it." 

Turning his right hand into a smokey tendril, he touched the top of Persephone's forehead. Her eyes opened, glowing bright white, and he felt himself get sucked into a vision.

….

Cheerful humming could be heard echoing throughout a large attic. It was dusty, and boxes were strewn about everywhere. Reclining back on the floor in front of a small television set was a young, mortal Persephone. Her face was rosy cheeked and coated with a mass of freckles while her dark hair was in a poofy, side-ponytail that was tied with a white ribbon. 

She looked no older than thirteen, but it was hard to tell because the frilly, white dress she was wearing was more suited for an eight-year-old. A pile of videotapes were at her side; using the remote, she hit the fast forward button. Jagged, white lines appeared on the screen, distorting the film as it skipped forward.

She smiled, her braces glimmering in the light of the screen. "Last night's party was absolutely wonderful."

Despoina poked her head out of a large box of magazines. She was wearing a similar white dress, but it had a large sash tied in the back. Her red hair was mostly down except for her two pixie tails, which were adorned with sparkly, white bows. 

"I'll say. It was the best tenth birthday I ever had." She let out a small sob and wiped a tear from her eye. "I miss my dancing girls already. Anyway, check this out." She held up one of the opened magazines. "Dude, her boobs are freakin' huge; it's like they're filled with helium or something."

Persephone's eyes widened. "Ghastly."

"It's probably surgery." Despoina stuck out her tongue. "All the girls in dad's latest issues seem to do that."

"Adults have really poor standards." Persephone shook her head. "And please be careful, or else you're gonna get us caught.  _Again_ ."

"Relax. Dad's way too afraid of mom finding out to actually do anything." Despoina continued looking through the magazine. "When's he getting back from work anyways? He's been gone for like what… two weeks now?"

"He said the chief had a special assignment for the whole precinct, but–” She sighed. "Dad's never been gone for this long. He looked a little sick before he left, but mom said everything should be fine."

“Maybe we should speed up our plans.” Despoina cuddled her stuffed animal horse. “Mr. Oats says something doesn’t feel right in the atmosphere.”

Persephone rolled her eyes. “You’re getting way too old for that thing, Des.”

“Mr. Oats isn’t a thing. He’s our little brother.” Despoina gently sat the horse on the floor. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

"Anyway–" Persephone shook her head. "I promise when I turn sixteen, I'll get us out of here. We'll go wherever we want, we'll start our band, and if we can figure out a way, we'll even visit Hades in his time."

"I'm sure you're looking forward to that." Despoina smirked. "So what happened when you two snuck off last night?"

"Well, if you must know, we talked, and we sort of got close." She sighed. "At least until the alarm went off, and I woke up."

Despoina giggled. "So does that mean my suspicions were correct?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to mind your own business." Persephone huffed. "That's why I'm going through all this stuff. I want to learn as much as possible, so tonight–" She swooned. "Will be our night. Oooh, the two of us under the stars in each other's embrace. I can't wait."

"Uh, hello?" Despoina gestured toward the boxes surrounding her. "We have access to a whole mountain of knowledge right here. They do it all the time in these."

"No way." Persephone folded her arms and turned up her head. "I'm not taking advice from those pornai films."

Despoina raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It's totally legit." She held up one videotape. "Here. Try this one."

"Don't bother. Those movies are designed for whores, which I am not." She held up the video box to one of the movies she had been watching. "I've actually been taking notes from the couple in this. They're always so passionate for each other, and the husband completely adores his wife. I want Hades and I to be like that when we grow up."

"That goth family's so weird though." Despoina shrugged. "But if that's what you want, go for it." She went back to the magazines and started flipping through them. "Percy, you think I'll ever meet someone?"

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden?" Persephone sat back in front of the television.

"Well, as much as I pick on you two, I think you and Hades are lucky." Despoina sighed and lowered her head. "You know it's different for me."

"Oh, Des, you shouldn't worrying about dating. You have plenty of time, and once we get out of here, we'll meet all sorts of people." Persephone smiled. "I'm sure there's a special someone out there for you somewhere." She leaned back and accidentally hit a button on the remote, changing the channel.

On the screen, a news reporter appeared. There was chaos going on behind her, and the cameraperson seemed unable to keep the shot steady. 

“ _Still no information on the recent killings that have been sweeping Raccoon City. A mob dressed up a monsters have been attacking civilians and have only grown in numbers. We haven't been able to identity who they are. Some rumors have assumed them to a canna-ballistic cult, while others have deemed them to be some kind of….”_

The screen went static.

"Cool. What movie is that?" Despoina walked over.

Persephone stared at the static television then shifted her gaze to the remote and back. “That was the news.”

“Persephone! Despoina! Get down here now!”

Persephone looked at the door. "Mom's early."

"Crap!" Despoina rushed over to the boxes. "Hide everything."

The two of them quickly shoved the videos and magazines into their respective boxes before leaving the attic. Despoina put the padlock on the door, and they headed downstairs.

"Girls, what's taking so long!"

Persephone and Despoina reached the front door and performed an elegant curtsy while saying sweetly in unison, "Welcome home, Mother; we hope your day was…."

"Not now! We need to get out of here!" Their mother grabbed them both by the hand and rushed them out the door. "Don't look at anything!"

Persephone glanced down and noticed a huge tear in her mother's right leg. "Mom, what happened?"

"It's nothing." She quickly opened the backseat door. "Now get in and buckle up."

Persephone and Despoina did as they were told.

"Now keep you heads down. Do not look out of the windows for any reason until I say otherwise!" Their mother got into the driver's seat.

Despoina raised an eyebrow at Persephone. "Mom, what's…?"

"Just do as I say!"

They kept their heads down, and their mother started driving. As they kept going, they could hear screams going on all around them. They could only wonder what was transpiring outside.

Persephone furrowed her brow. "Mom, where's dad?"

"I haven't been able to get ahold of him, but it doesn't matter. We need to get out of this city now." Their mother gasped. "Fuck!"

The car suddenly swiveled, the tires screeching against the pavement, and collided with something else. Glass shattered around them, and the vehicle toppled over. Persephone screamed, shut her eyes, and everything went dark. Several hours had passed by the time she regained consciousness. Her head felt dizzy, and the side of her face hurt. After a few minutes, her ears finally registered her sister's cries.

"Mom! Percy! Somebody! Help!"

Persephone opened her eyes; slightly turning her head, she saw Despoina crying, her face soaked with tears. The car had completely flipped over, leaving them to loosely hang upside down from their seats. It had become dark outside, and the only light she could see was coming from the fires surrounding them.

"Des?" She coughed. "Des, are you okay?"

Despoina turned her head. "You're awake? What happened? Mom isn't moving!"

Persephone looked toward the driver seat. Their mother was lying still, her body slightly contorted from the accident. However, from her side, she could see that a large piece of the windshield had impaled their mother's forehead on impact.

"Mom?" Persephone felt her breathing go heavy and tears forced their way from her eyes and streamed up the sides of her face. "Oh, god. Don't look, Des. Don't look."

Despoina shifted in her seatbelt. "What happened?"

"Mom… she's… she's…." Persephone sobbed.

A spark ignited on the ground, lighting the whole car on fire. The two girls screamed, and Persephone tried to undo her seatbelt.

"It's not unbuckling." She pulled at it, trying to slip through, but it was too tight.

"What are we going to do? We're trapped!" Despoina whimpered, her gaze focused on the fire.

Looking around, Persephone spotted a big shard of glass beneath her. Reaching down as far as she could, she managed to pick up the shard with the tips of her nails. She got a tighter grip on it before cutting herself free, and quickly did the same for her sister. They slipped out of the car before it exploded, and the force of it knocked them back a little. They fell to the ground and huddled close to each other, crying silently.

"Are you okay?" Persephone slowly stood up.

"I think so." Despoina stared at what was left of the car. "What happened to mom?"

"It was the crash. She hit the windshield." Cringing, Persephone looked at her hand; the glass had sliced a deep cut into her palm. Taking the ribbon out her hair, she wrapped it around her hand and tied it tightly. She picked up the shard of glass and looked around. It was quiet, but that was probably because it was the middle of the night. However, there was strange, foul smell in the air, but she couldn't figure out what it was. "We need to find help."

"Okay." Despoina nodded.

They walked away from the crash site and headed down the street. There were piles of wrecked cars that had run into each other from various directions and ended up blocking off certain roads and alleyways. The city itself was in ruins. Debris scattered the streets, and there was blood everywhere.

Despoina clung closer to her. "Why is everything so messed up?"

"I don't know." Persephone spotted a man on the street corner. "Wait." Examining his clothes, he looked like he was a policeman. She stepped forward. "Excuse me, Officer? Can you help us?" She sniffled. "Please. Our car crashed, and our mom… oh god."

The officer turned around with a loud moan, his face bloody and decayed. Persephone screamed and jumped back.

Despoina's eyes widened. "What happened to him?"

The officer lunged at them, but they moved away, leaving him to fall on the ground. He slowly crawled toward them while Persephone held her sister close and backed away. Moans sounded off all around them, and more people came from out of the shadows. They were all covered in blood, clothes torn, their flesh ripped apart, almost as though they were dead.

Despoina gasped. "They look like the zombies we saw in those scary movies."

"How? Those movies aren't real." Persephone continued to retreat. "Stay behind me, Des." She glared at the monsters surrounding them and held out the shard of glass. "Leave us alone!"

The zombies closed in on them, and one of the zombies vomited some kind of acid. Persephone moved her and her sister out of the way, but another zombie tried to grab them. She swiped the shard at its hand, cutting its fingers off. Persephone and Despoina ran out of the horde and onto the next street.

Persephone looked around. "They're everywhere."

"What do we do?" Despoina backed away.

"Let's head to the police station. We've gotta find dad." Taking her sister by the hand, she ran through the streets.

She had only been to the station once, but she had the address memorized. Following the signs, she bobbed and weaved through many different streets. It seemed like no matter what path they took, there were dead bodies everywhere.

"There it is." Persephone pointed ahead.

They raced to the gates of the _R.P.D_ ., and luckily, the gates were open. They ran inside toward the main doors, but something grabbed Persephone's ankle, making her trip and fall. Looking behind her, she saw a zombie wearing a yellow vest and green cargo pants. There was a giant hole where its mouth should've been, but it tried to bite her anyway. She kicked it in the face before it could.

"Let my sister go!" Despoina picked up one of the loose boards on the ground and whacked the zombie on the head.

The zombie grunted, but it was unfazed by the action.

"Get off!" Persephone pointed her hand at the zombie, and a bright light shot out from it and blasted the zombie back. Quickly standing up, she shifted her gaze from her hand to the zombie, which was now sprouting flowers all over its body.

Despoina looked in the direction of the gate and quickly tugged on her sister's sleeve. "They're getting in. We have to go."

They rushed to the front door, and Persephone tried to push it open. "It's locked. What do we do?"

"Stand back. This looks like a job for the  _Mistress of Unlocking_ ." Despoina moved her out of the way. Pressing her hand on the doorknob, she filled the lock with water and created an ice key.

"Hurry! They're catching up to us!" Persephone shrunk back against the door.

"I almost got it." Despoina turned the key from side to side until she heard a click. "We're in."

They quickly rushed inside of the station and tried to push the door closed, but the zombies were forcing it open from the other side.

"Push harder!" Persephone groaned.

Despoina grunted, her feet slipping on the linoleum floor. "I'm trying."

When they almost got the door closed, Despoina froze the door shut with ice. They backed away from the doors, and they could dear the zombies moaning on the other side. The sound was quite unnerving.

"Do you think that'll hold them?" Despoina's voice trembled.

"Let's not wait and find out." Persephone took her by the hand. "Where is everyone?"

The station was silent, and it looked like they were in the main lobby. In the center was a fountain with a large statue and a service desk.

"They might be in another room." Despoina walked over to one of the other doors.

"Don't open anything." Persephone walked over to the service desk. "Maybe I can figure out where we are on this map." She looked at the computer.

"Do you actually know anything about computers?" Despoina walked over to her.

"No, but it couldn't hurt to try." Persephone furrowed her brow. "I think someone else was on here; there's already a bunch of open files. It looks like they unlocked the west wing."

Despoina looked at screen. "Can you unlock the east?"

"Let me see." She clicked onto another page and started plugging in some numbers. "No. It needs a password. Hmm. Some of the precinct rooms are in the west wing though. We might be able to find dad."

"Okay." Despoina nodded. "But what's going on? Why are there zombies running around?"

"I don't know, but we need to get help." Persephone took her by the hand. "Come on. Let's go." She found the door that the system labelled  _unlocked_ and pressed her ear against it. She couldn't hear anything. "It should be safe." She put a finger to her lips before slowly turning the doorknob.

She opened the door as quietly as she could, and behind it revealed a long hallway. Persephone examined the area, trying to spot anything suspicious. The entire place was as much of a mess as the city outside, but it seemed like the coast was clear. She motioned for them to keep going. Along the way, they found the dead body of a cop, whose head was missing.

"I don't think he's getting up." Despoina bit her lip.

A loud, booming roar sounded off in the distance.

Despoina gasped. "What was that?"

"I don't know." Persephone looked at the end of the hallway. "It sounds like it's coming from the next room."

Gunshots fired off followed by the sound of frantic footsteps, which were soon overshadowed by booming footsteps.

_"S.T.A.R.S!"_

"We need to hide." Persephone glanced to her right and saw a second door. She quickly opened it, and saw it was a closet. "Hurry inside."

Persephone and Despoina squeezed themselves in-between all the supplies and closed the door. They ducked down, making sure they were out of the light of the hallway. They patiently waited, the noises growing louder by the minute.

"Shit! Why does he keep following me!" It was a woman's voice. Judging by her footsteps, it sounded like she turned around to confront whatever was chasing her. "You're not getting me like you got Brad!"

The woman fired her gun multiple times. Persephone and Despoina shivered in their spots, and they heard the roar again, their hearts skipping a beat. Whatever was making that sound had to be truly frightening.

_"S.T.A.R.S!"_

The woman ran off, and the monster followed her. Soon it was silent again.

"Is it safe?" Despoina whispered.

"I think so." Persephone stood up and peered through the door. She stepped out into the hallway. "Well, we're not going back the way we came. I don't even want to know what that was."

"It sounded like that woman was in trouble." Despoina followed her.

"It's not like we can do anything about it." Persephone held her hand. "Let's go. Dad has to be around here somewhere."

They walked for a while until they came across another hallway. There were multiple doors to go through, but no windows. Persephone walked over to the closest one and pressed her ear against it. There were several faint moans, and the very slight shuffling of feet. She quickly stepped away from the door.

"Is it safe?" Despoina walked over to her.

She shook her head. "No. Let's try another one."

Persephone checked all of the other doors, but she kept hearing the same strange sounds. Shaking her head for the fifth time, Despoina and her went into the next area and began checking again. However, all of the doors there weren't safe either.

"Honestly, how are we supposed to find dad when you don't want to look in any of the rooms?" Despoina huffed.

"Because there's zombies and monsters everywhere. I'm only trying to be careful." Persephone turned a corner and led them into another long hallway.

"Why are we even wasting our time anyways?" Despoina folded her arms. "Every cop we've run into is dead. Maybe he's…."

Persephone frowned. "No, he's not. We can't give up."

"But what if he is? I think we should focus on getting out of here." Despoina stopped walking.

"How?" Persephone turned around. "This city is huge." She sighed. "Look, I know you have problems with dad, and I know we were planning on running away. Trust me. I understand. All mom ever did was yell and hit me because she wanted us to stay little kids forever." She started crying. "But that didn't mean I wanted her die. I didn't want to see her like that. With the glass. It was right through her head." She buried her face in her hands. "I just want to find dad, so we can be safe."

"Okay, it's alright, Percy. I'm sorry." Despoina hugged her. "I only meant that…."

A roar sounded off in the distance.

Persephone looked up. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." Despoina nodded. "But it didn't sound like that other monster."

"Sherry!" The monster's voice sounded distorted.

"It's close by." Despoina started backing away. "What do we do?"

Persephone walked over to one of the doors and jiggled the handle. "Des, I need you to open this. Hurry."

"I'm on it." Despoina created another ice key inside of the lock and turned it until she heard a click. "We're in."

"Let me go first." Persephone looked inside of the room. It was some kind of office, but it looked like it was empty. The place was a mess, and there was blood all over the floor, staining the carpet.

Another roar sounded off.

"Percy, it's coming." Despoina tapped on her shoulder.

"It's safe." Persephone grabbed her sister by the hand and brought her inside. "Seal the door."

Despoina filled the border of the door with ice, freezing it shut. "There." She followed Persephone and glanced the room over. "Nice digs. This must be the chief of police's office."

Persephone noticed a sign on the far back wall and pointed at it. “No, it belongs to S.T.A.R.S.. You know, Special Tactics and Rescue Services?”

Do you think any of them are still around?" Despoina started searching the desks.

"I don't know, but maybe we could find a weapon or something." Persephone spotted an axe on the floor. It was covered with dried blood, but otherwise seemed in pretty good condition. "This should work." 

She walked over to the desk that furthest against the back wall. It was messy and had paperwork scattered everywhere. She found a name plate on the desk and read it. 

“Captain Albert Wesker?” she said.

The name didn't ring a bell. She didn't know much about the force, for her father didn't like to talk about his work. She spotted a photograph. 

“This must be them.” Glancing over each person, her eyes widened a bit. "That guy in the yellow vest. He's the one who attacked me outside of the gate. Des, I don't think the members are around anymore.”

"But we do have a radio." Despoina walked over to the large radio station on the other side. "We could call for help." She messed with some of the controls and finally flipped a switch that turned on the speakers. Nothing but static and feedback emitted from it. "Let's see if I can reach any…."

A zombie jumped out from underneath the table and grabbed Despoina, dragging her to the floor.

"Des!" Heartbeat pounding, Persephone rushed to her sister's aid and hacked the zombie right in its skull. 

The zombie went still, its arms falling limply at its sides. The axe had become lodged in its skull, and she could only lift the zombie a few inches while her sister crawled away. 

"Are you alright?” Persephone said.

Despoina steadied her breathing. "It bit my wrist. Am I going to turn like they do in the movies?"

"We don't even know how this happened, or if it works like that. I'm sure you'll be fine." Persephone struggled to pull out the axe. After the fifth try, she managed to get it out, and the zombie fell to the side, allowing her to see its face. "Dad?"

Despoina gasped. "What?"

Persephone kept shifting her gaze between the bloody axe, and their father's corpse, which now had a large gash in its skull. "Dad, he's dead. I killed him. Oh god." She dropped the axe and immediately threw up.

"Persephone, are you okay?" Despoina walked over to her, still cradling her wrist.

"I'm fine." She settled herself down. "Let's get you cleaned up. There must be a first aid kit somewhere in here."

"There." Despoina gestured forward. "That one looks like a medical desk."

"Perfect." Persephone opened the drawers and found some bandages, spray, and ointment. She picked up the spray. "Here. This'll sting a little."

Despoina held out her arm reluctantly, and cringed when Persephone sprayed it. It started to heal the wound, but only slightly. She then put on some ointment and wrapped it with a bandage.

"Thanks." Despoina flexed her wrist.

"Of course." Persephone searched the desk some more and found a pack. "There's still a lot of healing items here. We should take them with us." She placed everything she saw into the small pack and placed it over Despoina's shoulders. "You can carry the medical supplies. I'll take the weapons."

Despoina secured it on her shoulder. "Cool. I'm a white mage."

Persephone went to retrieve the axe and noticed a tiny notebook beside their dad's corpse. "What's this?" 

She picked it up and opened it. The notebook was filled with a bunch of police information that she didn't understand, and she kept flipping through the pages until she reached what seemed to be a diary entry. 

“September 20. I don't know what's gotten into Chief Irons. His assignments have been getting stranger and stranger by the day. He's become very secretive and even bursts into anger if we question anything. It'll be forever before we can go back home.”

Persephone furrowed her brow. 

“September 22. I've been feeling worse and worse these past couple days. Some of the other guys have felt the same. We want to see a doctor, but the chief won't let us leave for any reason. It doesn't make any sense. What's going on around here?”

"Wait. He was being imprisoned here?" Despoina walked over.

“I–” Persephone kept reading. "September 23. The chief has gone mad. He killed six of us this morning. We tried to hide from him, but Frank turned into some kind of monster and started attacking the rest of us. He ripped the throat right out of Malcolm. I've never seen such a sight in my whole life.”

She flipped to the final page. 

“September 26. This was yesterday. We should have listened to the S.T.A.R.S. Members. They tried to warn us, but no one listened. Now… I don't have much time left. I locked myself in their office, so I can at least die in peace. I can't believe this is how it's all going to end for me. I did everything for my family only to find out that Willow was keeping secrets from me.” 

Persephone’s eyes widened.

“There was always something strange about her daughters, unholy about them. I don't know how, but they have to be some kind of hell-spawn. Perhaps this is why I am suffering such a horrid fate? I let myself fall in love with a witch, and now I'll forever be alone and in agony.”

She dropped the notebook on the floor. 

“He wasn't our dad all this time? Why would mom lie about that?” Persephone said.

"If that's the case, who is our dad?" Despoina looked at the corpse. 

"Let's focus on getting out of here." Persephone took the knife that was resting beside the corpse before going to the door and pressing her ear against it. "It sounds okay. Unseal it."

A good chunk of the ice had melted, soaking the carpet with water. Despoina undid the rest, and they headed back out into the hallway. Persephone lead the way, axe and knife in hand.

"So where are we going now?" Despoina looked around.

"First, we need to find another way out of this station, and then hopefully get out of the city." Persephone furrowed her brow. "Although, what if this isn't the only place this is happening?"

"We don't really have a choice." Despoina looked at her hand. "Are you sure this bite is going to be fine? It feels kind of tingly."

"You'll be fine, Des. I promise." Persephone kept walking.

She frowned. "But…?"

Persephone turned around. "What do you want me to do? Kill you?"

"No." Despoina shrunk back. "But we should do something. Maybe you could chop it off?"

“Are you crazy? I'm not chopping your hand off. I don't even know what to do with an injury like that." Persephone put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Look, I know you're worried. I am too, but you need to stop thinking about what happens in the movies. This is real life. We'll figure this out.”

“Alright.” Despoina sighed and followed Persephone while they continued down the hallway. “I have an idea. We could try and figure out how to get to Hades' time.”

"Yeah." She smiled. "We could, but I don't know how to get there, or even where to get started. Plus, Hades still has his father to deal with. We'd have to form a plan for that as well."

"It shouldn't be too hard." Despoina furrowed her brow. "Maybe you could link yourself to Hades the same way you do in the dream world?"

"It's worth a shot, but let's wait until we're out of the city and somewhere safer." She blushed and giggled. "I can't believe I finally have a chance to rescue him, and then we can be together for real." 

She checked the next door, but before she could listen in, it burst open. A horde of zombies came shuffling out. Persephone raised her axe and swung at the closest one, slicing its fingers off. It spewed vomit at her, but she jumped back before it could hit her.

"This should help." Despoina shot out a sheet of ice that froze the floor.

The zombies began to slip and slide on the ice until they were crawling towards them. However, there were still so many of them that there was no way for Persephone and Despoina to get around them to the other side of the hall.

"Fudge, there's too many. I can't take them all out." Retreating back, Persephone heard noises and turned. "They're behind us!"

Despoina searched around. "There has to be a way out."

Persephone kept swinging the axe and the knife until she was backed up against a window that had been boarded up. "Get back! I mean it!" 

Hands broke through the boards on the window and snatched her by her hair. She screamed and tried to pry them off of her, dropping her weapons.

"Persephone!" Despoina gasped and quickly picked up the axe.

She hit one of the zombies that was holding Persephone, but the other one yanked her sister back further and bit her in the neck. Persephone screamed, trying to keep from getting pulled through the window, and a bright light shined from her body, knocking all the zombies away. Despoina shielded her eyes, and when she opened them again, she saw her sister lying on the floor with blood pooling out from her neck.

“Percy!” Rushing to her sister’s side, Despoina took out a bandage and put it on her neck to slow down the bleeding.

Persephone was shaking and groaning in pain. The bite mark was large, and she was starting to lose a fair amount of blood. Despoina looked around. All the zombies had been knocked away and were now sprouting flowers from their bodies. However, they were starting to get back up. She spotted a massive hole in the wall that looked big enough for them to crawl through.

“Don't worry. I'll get us out of here.” Despoina lifted Persephone as best as she could and dragged her through the zombies to the wall.

Persephone regained some of her strength. "Go first. I'll be right behind you."

"Okay." Despoina carefully climbed through, without getting caught on any piping or debris. She could hear Persephone whimpering in pain behind her. 

"Only a little further." She reached the opening on the other side. 

It looked like they were further within the station, possibly a lower level because it was fairly dark and quiet. 

"Everything looks okay." She climbed out.

Persephone groaned, doing her best to squeeze through. Despoina helped her the rest of the way, and once she was out, Persephone only had enough energy to slump onto the floor.

"Here. Let me clean it." Despoina pulled out the supplies from her pack. The bandage she had given Persephone had already bled through, and she tossed it to the side. She wetted a cloth with the spray and started to disinfected the wound.

Persephone cringed, sucking in air through her teeth. "That stings."

"That zombie got you pretty bad." Despoina started rubbing some of the ointment on it.

"I thought I was going to die." Persephone sighed. "I guess we'll both have to see how this bite thing works."

Despoina wrapped her neck with the bandage. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy, but I'm sure it's only from the blood." Persephone closed her eyes. "I can't stop thinking about that letter. As much as it hurts knowing he wasn't our dad all this time, it does make sense, doesn't it? Think about it. You can sorta manipulate water, and I have an affect on flowers. I think mom knew the truth. That why she always told us we were special needs."

"Well, it would explain my ears." Despoina tugged on them. Instead of regular human ears, she had fin-shaped, flesh colored gills. "That, and why I can hold my breath underwater for over an hour." 

She placed the items back in her pack and noticed something else. 

"A green herb? No way. Holy crap, there's more. Sweet." She smiled. "When we get out of here, let's totally get high. We deserve it after the stuff we've been through."

"Those are medicinal herbs, Des, not that smoking stuff." Persephone rolled her eyes and stood. "We should save those for healing in case of an emergency."

"Darn it, and right when I thought I hit the jackpot." Despoina secured her pack around her shoulder. "Where are we now?"

"Not sure. It looks like a basement." Persephone heard howling in the distance.

Despoina nodded. "Do you think there's any other survivors besides that lady we heard?"

"There could be, but given the situation, I don't think we can trust anyone we run into. It might be better if we stick to ourselves." Persephone pointed ahead. "There's another hole in the wall. It could lead to a shortcut out of here. Although, it looks like a tight fit."

"I'll test it out." Despoina got on her hands and knees and started to crawl through.

"Careful." Persephone furrowed her brow. "Make sure it's safe on the other side."

"Got it." Despoina's voice echoed. There was some shuffling and some grunts before Persephone finally heard a, "It's all clear. You can come through."

Persephone crouched down and started to crawl inside. She made sure not to move her neck too much. She was taller and was scraping her elbows and knees against everything. She reached a pipe that stretched across the tunnel, and it looked like that only way around it was to go under. She squeezed underneath, and cringed at the sharp pain in her neck. Sucking in a breath, she tried to move forward, but found herself unable to.

She struggled, but the rest of her body wouldn't fit. "Des, I'm stuck."

"Hang on." Despoina crawled back through. "Where are you stuck?"

"It's the pipe. I can't get through." Persephone continued to struggle.

Despoina held her arms and tried to pull her forward. "Come on. Suck it in."

"I don't think it's working. Maybe we should go back." Persephone tried push herself the opposite way, but now she was really wedged in there. "Great."

"Maybe if we try it together on three." Despoina gripped on her shoulders. "One. Two. Three."

The two of them pushed as hard as they could, and managed to get her loose a little bit.

"That seemed to work." Despoina smiled. "One more time. One. Two. Three. Push!"

Persephone was able to move a little more. "Almost there."

"Third time's the charm. One. Two. Aaaah!" Eyes widening, Despoina was pulled back with great force, but she gripped onto another pipe. "Persephone! Help!"

"Despoina!" Persephone heard growling. 

With a rush of adrenaline, she managed to slide herself underneath the pipe and grabbed her sister's hands before she could be completely dragged away. Behind Despoina were three demonic looking dogs, their teeth sinking into her legs. 

"Please! Help! Percy!" She cried. "Don't let me go! Please!"

"I can't do anything from here!" Persephone was cramped in the tunnel and struggled to keep a grip on her sister.

Despoina shrieked. "They're eating my legs! Persephone, please help!"

Persephone was at a loss. It was taking all she had to hold onto her sister, and she couldn't get to the dogs outside to fight them off. Then, it was like time slowed down. All Persephone could hear was their screams, and the growling dogs. Despoina's hands were finally torn from hers, and all she could see was her sister's tear-stained face, her eyes filled with fear. The dogs pulled her out of the tunnel and began mauling the rest of her body.

"Des…?" Persephone's breath and heart stopped for a few seconds. 

She couldn't move, and her mind was riddled with disbelief. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. It had to be some strange nightmare. At some point she knew she would wake up in her top bunk bed with Despoina snoring underneath, and their parents moving about the house, getting ready for the day. However, the moment never came. Instead, Persephone watched while her sister was ripped apart limb from limb, screaming in agony until it ceased. The lights left Despoina's eyes, and Persephone found her voice. 

"Despoina!"

Hearing Persephone shout, one of the dogs bit her right hand, and took four of her fingers off. She screamed and pulled her hand back. The dog tried to climb in after her, and she retreated away until she was back in the other hall. She kept backing up until she felt a wall behind her and slid to floor.

"Des… Des… no. Why is this happening?" Persephone couldn't stop crying; she couldn't even feel her right hand bleeding profusely. "Des… oh god. No! No! No!"

She remained on the floor for several minutes. There weren't any other zombies or monsters nearby, and the dogs weren't able to get through to her. Although, she could still hear growling and barking on the other side. At some point, she came to her senses and looked at her hand. All that remained was half of a nub and her thumb. The wound stung, but she had gotten so used to the pain in her neck, it didn't bother her as much.

"I should wrap it before I lose anymore blood." Persephone tore off a part of her dress and wrapped up her right hand. She stood and started wandering around the basement. "I guess I should find a way out." 

She didn't even know why she was trying to survive anymore. She lost her family, and the city she called home had turned into its own circle of hell. She continued to cry and whimper, not paying attention to her surroundings. 

Turning a corner, she collapsed on the floor and bawled her eyes out. She couldn't take it anymore. The horrific images she witnessed cycled in her mind over and over until it felt like she was going to go mad. However, despite the slipping of her sanity, there was still one thing she could focus on. 

"Aidi…." She sniffled. "I have to find him." She tried to stand up, but she dropped back onto the floor. Her head spun, and she threw up again. "What's wrong with me?" She continued crying.

Her sobs were ceased by the sound of something hissing, or moaning; she couldn't tell for sure. What she saw come around the corner made her freeze in place. It was a four-legged monster with large claws, and its skin was missing, exposing its red muscle and brain. The monster opened its mouth, revealing its sharp fangs and a long tongue that swished out in front of it. 

Persephone remained so still that she didn't even breathe. The monster didn't have eyes and crawled right past her. The second it was down the hall, she slowly stood and ran back the other way, but she knocked over a trash can. It crashed onto the floor, its contents spilling out everywhere. She gasped and froze again; however, the monster had already turned around. 

Before she could run away, something sharp struck her spine, and she tumbled onto the floor. Whimpering, she tried to sit up, but her body refused to move. Looking up, she saw the monster pouncing straight at her and screamed.

….

Hades slammed into the wall behind him with surprising force. Groaning, he looked up and saw that Persephone's soul had turned blood red. She was wailing in agony, and it was so loud that it would've destroyed the ear drums of any mortal within a five mile radius. Covering his ears, Hades stood up and returned to his spot beside her. He tried to place his hand back on her forehead to calm her, but she grabbed his arm before he could. His eyes locked with hers, and within seconds, the howling ceased.

"Aidi?" Persephone muttered, her hands slipping away from him.

Her soul returned to its bright, light blue hue, and her eyes closed. A strong, steady heartbeat followed, and her soul became flesh and blood once more.

"Angel-face?" Hades furrowed his brow. 

She didn't respond, but he could tell by the gentle rise and fall of her chest that she was alive. 

_She's still mortal, but I can fix that later._ He stared at her, his gaze tracing over her features. "It's really her. After all this time… I thought…."

Her goddess form was perfect, but he had forgotten how beautiful she was as a mortal. Her hair wasn't as long or as luxurious, but it looked as soft while it pillowed around her face in wavy curls. Her golden skin was now pale and stuck out against the black bedding around her. 

Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy shade of pink and were decorated with dark freckles that went up to the bridge of her nose, and then there were her lips. Hades licked his own. She usually wore dark blue lipstick, but now her lips were a natural, rosy red and looked so full and soft that he couldn't help but….

He paused right above her face, realizing he had been leaning down to kiss her, and moved back. 

_Probably shouldn't. Given the state her soul's in, it might freak her out._ He sighed. "I'll let her rest. I have other things to take of anyway." 

He left the room.


	6. When We Were Young

"Ah! No! Get away from me!"

A young, mortal farmer ran through the forest at top speed. He had been tending to his flock of sheep when a monster attacked and started devouring the animals. All he could do was run, hoping he would be spared, but would his prayers be answered? The gods were clearly upset that day, for the sky had turned red and dark. The boy stopped at the edge of a large river. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to swim, and the monster was closing in.

He turned around, his eyes wide. "No!"

Within seconds, his thread of life was cut, and his body fell into the river.

….

"If you weren't already dead, I'd strangle you!" Demeter lunged at Zeus, but was quickly held back by Hera and Hestia.

Zeus stepped away from her but kept a calm composure. Demeter could tell by the look in his eyes that he felt no remorse. He frowned, his tone very austere. "Why are you surprised, Demeter? I told you what would happen if your daughter disobeyed me. Besides, she wanted to die. I was only giving her what she asked for."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe such an absurd story?" Demeter scowled. "I've had it with your lies! You raped my Kore, and you tried to do the same at the harvest festival!"

"Very well, I confess." Zeus sighed. "I did try to take her that night, but she resisted me." The corners of his mouth slightly curled up. "I couldn't help myself. I mean, have you actually seen your daughter? Every part of her was simply begging to be taken by the right man, like you used to."

"You bastard!" Demeter tried to pull away from her sisters. _I'll rip that smug grin off of his face. He'll never be able to bed another woman again!_

Hera blocked her sister's path, which was a task given how much bigger Demeter was. "Calm yourself."

"Calm myself?" Demeter growled. "How can you expect me to stay calm after what he said?"

Zeus folded his arms, still unfazed by her outbursts. "That was until your daughter revealed the monster she was underneath. She attacked me until I was able to knock her out."

"Wait." Athena narrowed her eyes at him. "You knew about Persephone several months ago?"

All attention was on Zeus, but he refused to crack under their scrutinizing stares. Demeter would have paled if she could, for she knew what Zeus was referring to. She had witnessed it herself when she had found Persephone on her land.

_Was it a curse?_ Demeter lowered her head. _The Fates told me I'd have daughters in another life and that one of them would come to me in this time. They said it would be my job to care for her until she achieved her destiny. This couldn't be what they meant?_

Apollo stepped forward. "Zeus, are you going to explain or not?"

"Yeah!" Ares glared at him. "Why didn't you say something instead of wasting our time with that stupid trial?"

"Because I had no obligation to." Zeus looked down on everyone. "I chose the best course of action to take care of the situation, and there was no reason for me to be concerned. This is not my fault."

"Not your fault?" Aphrodite seethed. "We're dead because you played right into Hades' hands. Is it not obvious that he used Persephone since no one would suspect her of anything? But instead of seeing the situation for what it was, you thought with the wrong  _head_ like always."

"I don't fault him." Hephaestus glared at her. "The only benign thing that came from this was discovering what a treacherous wench you are."

She rolled her eyes. "Now's not the time for this."

"Maybe not, but if we ever get out of here, I want a divorce." He got in her face.

"Fine. I've always hated this arrangement." She turned up her nose. "It should be against the law for the very epitome of beauty itself to be bound to an ogre like you."

Demeter huffed. "Enough of your squabbling! Why don't we keep focused on the real problem, which is that my daughter is still missing thanks to this idiot!" She pointed at Zeus. "You knew I was on Olympus for a visit. If you had brought her to me, all of this could've been resolved before everything got out of control!"

Hera stood beside her. "She is right, dear. Your actions these past few months are unforgivable."

"Are you really putting all the blame on me?" Zeus stepped closer to them. "This was all Hades' doing!" He looked at Demeter. "And it's a little too late to be upset at me for going near your daughter. Hades got to her before I did. She was completely up for grabs."

A loud smack echoed through the cavern. Demeter's soul glowed brightly, her right hand raised high in the air. Zeus' eyes were wide, his head still turned in the direction she had struck him. She didn't give him a chance to retaliate and stormed away.

_That bastard! How dare he!_ Demeter sat down on a rock. _Why did this happen? I finally managed to have some happiness to myself, and these stupid men take it away from me._ She started to cry.

Hestia sat beside her. "I'm sorry, Demeter. I know this must be hard on you."

"I can't even figure out how Hades got anywhere near my Kore." Demeter sniffled. "I always made sure she was well guarded. The nymphs would've seen something."

"He's a god." Hestia put a hand on her shoulder. "It would've been very easy for him to slip past them."

"There has to be a way to get her back." Demeter sobbed. "I know the rest of you don't think highly of her, but this is Hades we're talking about. She must be so scared."

"Father, why would you do something like this?" Hercules walked over to Zeus. "That girl was seeking help."

Hera sighed. "I'm afraid, Hercules, that your father is not the goody-two-shoes he's led you to believe."

"Hera, don't start." Zeus looked at Hercules. "Son, this is an Olympian matter. You wouldn't understand."

"Well, from what I understand, you terrorized an innocent girl, and now we're all Hades' prisoners." Hercules frowned. "How could you?" He walked over to Demeter and kneeled down before her. "Demeter, I'm sorry for what has happened. I give you my hero's honor that I'll find a way to rescue your daughter."

"Oh, thank you." Demeter smiled. "You're a good man, Hercules, unlike your father." She briefly sneered in Zeus' direction. "It's a shame you ended up with that mortal girl. If I allowed Persephone to marry, it would be to you."

Hercules simply nodded. "I'm flattered, Demeter. Thank you."

….

Hades returned to the throne room and sat down _._ "I'll wait and straighten this out once Persephone wakes up." 

He looked at the ceiling. The blue flowers that had accented the spiky architecture were now withered without her influence. 

_She really does bring life to this place._ He smiled to himself.  _And to me._

….

A very young Hades slowly wandered through an empty forest, his wide, yellow eyes examining his surroundings. He had never seen anything like this place. There were all sorts of vegetation beyond the moss and fungi he was used to seeing underground. They stood far taller than him and were various shades of blues, purples, and greens. From what he could tell, everything seemed to possess a magical presence.

Looking up, his eyes shimmered with awe. "Is that the sky momma always told me about? And the sun?"

The sky was perfectly clear, and floating within it was an orb of light. He stared at it and immediately had to divert his gaze, his eyes stinging. He blinked a few times to rid his vision of the black and blue blotches that had appeared.

"Where is momma?" Turning around, he glanced at the dirt path he had been following. "Momma?"

Receiving no response, Hades furrowed his brow; his situation was getting stranger by the minute. He remembered going to sleep, but instead of having his usual dreams, he appeared in this place. Everything seemed so real that it was hard to tell if this was merely a dream as well. He had tried to wake himself up, but it didn't work. It looked like, for whatever reason, he was stuck here. He decided to keep exploring, but after what felt like hours, the path led him to a dead end. He sat on the ground, feeling worn out.

"Is anyone here?" Hades hugged his arms around himself. "I want to go home to momma." He sat in silence for a few minutes before hearing someone giggle. "Hello?"

No one responded to him directly, but he heard singing in the distance. The voice was high-pitched and sounded very sweet. Hades found himself entranced by the melodic tune and proceeded to search for the source. He didn't know how long he had walked this time, but he didn't stop until he reached a large clearing. It was covered in thousands of blue flowers that fluttered in the breeze, and in the center of the clearing was a cluster of animals he hadn't seen before. They were circled around whomever was singing, and Hades crept closer to get a better look.

Sitting in the middle of the animals was a girl, who looked the same age he was. She was dressed in white; however, her clothes were a different style. Her dress wasn't pinned up by anything, and it had a sash that was tied around her waist into a bow. Her hair was in a ponytail that was adorned with what looked like a moth, but it was too colorful. Hearing growling, Hades turned and saw that one of the animals had noticed him. The girl ceased her singing and looked in his direction.

"Good boy, Fuzzy." The girl looked toward the animal that was growling at him before snapping her fingers.

On command, the animals retreated from the scene, leaving Hades alone with the girl. She stood up on the large boulder she had been sitting on and tilted her head up, so she could look down on him with scrutinizing eyes. "Who goes there?"

Hades stayed silent. He had never seen other people in his dreams before. He hadn't even interacted with another child either, for his mother was very strict about him remaining unseen.

"Hello?" The girl raised an eyebrow. Putting her hands on her hips, she puffed out her chest and spoke in an authoritative tone. "I asked you a question. Who are you?" She groaned when he still didn't respond and walked over to him. "He–llo?" Anyone home?" She glanced above him, and her eyes widened. "Your head's on fire!"

"It's my hair." Hades stepped back when she tried to touch it.

"Oh, so you  _can_ talk." She grinned. "I thought you were stupid or something."

He frowned. "My momma says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"So?" She snorted. "My mommy says I'm not allowed to talk to boys." She circled around him. "But they're not here, are they?" She folded her arms. "Now, I'll ask you again. Who are you? You're tres… trespassing in my world."

He stared at her. "Your world?" The girl looked fairly normal, so how could she have a world to herself?

"That's right." She gestured to everything around them. "Welcome to my dream world where you can do whatever you want, and the adults can't stop you."

Hades glanced at the sky. "So this  _is_ a dream?"

"Yes, and I have total control over it. Watch. I can make flowers grow with my singing." She closed her eyes and held up her hands. "La-la-la!" All types of wild flowers sprouted from the ground, and she smiled.

Hades shifted his gaze from the flowers to the girl. "Are you a goddess?" He couldn't help but feel excited at the idea of meeting another member of his own kind. Aside from his mother, he would only get a rare visit from his great aunt and uncle.

She shook her head. "No, I'm a girl, but I have  _special needs_ ."

He raised an eyebrow. "Special needs?"

She shrugged. "That's what my mommy tells everyone." She narrowed her eyes. "Now, who are you? What's your name?"

"Well…." He shifted nervously in the spot he was standing, his eyes focused on the ground. "I don't really like my name."

"I didn't ask if you liked it." She frowned. "I asked what it is."

Hades didn't want to answer, but if it was true that this was her world, it would be wise not to upset her. "Okay, it's…."

One of the animals howled in the distance.

"But I prefer to be called Hades." He looked away from her.

"Hmm. I think I'll call you–" She smiled. "Aidi."

He scrunched his nose at the nickname, but the girl didn't seem to care. "Alright, I answered your question. Now, who are  _you_ ?"

"My name is Persephone." She tilted her head up with a grin. "And in this world, I am Queen. What I say goes, so you better be nice to me."

"Really?" He folded his arms. "So how do I get out of here?"

"You can't unless I let you." She giggled.

"What?" He stepped back. "You can't make me stay here."

"Sure I can. I'm the one who brought you here. You see, my mommy doesn't let me do anything. I'm always stuck at home, and I don't have anyone to play with." She sighed. "Except my little sister, but all she does is scream and smell. I don't want to play with her." She pointed at him. "It's boring being here by myself, so I found a way to pull someone else into my dream world. And here you are."

Hades stared at her. It was peculiar that she was only a mortal, and yet, she was powerful enough to create a dream world and pull other people into it. He wasn't sure if it was safe to be around her. His mother always warned him that his father would use any trick to find him. However, it didn't look like there was a way out of the situation.

"So, Aidi, you're from Greece?" Persephone sat on the ground and started picking flowers.

He remained silent and simply looked away.

"You don't talk much." She sighed. "Well, I'm from Greece too, but now my family lives in Raccoon City."

He furrowed his brow. He wouldn't have guessed that Persephone was Grecian from her appearance, but he supposed it made sense. She was completely fluent even though her dialect was a little off. "Raccoon City?"

"Yeah, it's in America." She smiled. "My daddy is a policeman, and my mommy home schools me and my sister."

"I've never heard of any of those things." He sat beside her. "Why a dream world?"

"I got the idea from this really scary movie I saw when I was going through my daddy's stuff in the attic." She tilted her head to the side. "Are you going to tell me about yourself or not?"

Hades focused his attention on the flowers around him. She seemed pretty genuine; maybe it would be okay for him to tell her. Lowering his head, he spoke in a hushed tone, "I'm a prince."

Her eyes lit up, her smile spreading larger than her head. "Really, a prince? Like in the fairytales?"

He blinked. "What are you…?"

She jumped to her feet. "Do you live in a big, shiny castle with magical servants? Ooh, do you have a pretty, white horse? Is your land filled with dragons, mermaids, and wizards?"

He shrunk back. "No."

"What about pirates?" She got in his face. "Or fairies and pixies? Can you fly?"

"No, I don't have any of that." He stood. "I live my momma underground."

"Some prince you are." Persephone scoffed. "You're making this up."

"No, I'm not." He frowned. "My father rules the whole universe."

She folded her arms. "You can't be ruler of the whole universe."

"Yeah, you can. My father's name is Cronus, and he rules over the cosmos and the earth." He glanced away. "That's why my momma and I live underground, so he can't find us."

She turned around. "Why don't you want your dad to find you?"

"Because my momma said if he ever finds us, he'll kill me." Hades shivered at the thought. He had never seen his father before, but the image he had conjured in his mind was truly terrifying.

She gasped and looked at him with wide eyes. "That sounds scary."

Hades nodded. "I don't get to do anything either except stay close to my momma."

Persephone turned away and appeared to be mulling something over; she then looked at him with a bright smile. "It's settled. You're gonna be my new friend."

He furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I want you to be my friend." She held his hand. "You can come here every night, and we can play all sorts of fun games together."

Hades met her gaze. Her eyes were filled with excitement, and she flashed him another smile. Was this really happening? He was certain that he'd wake up at any moment, and all of this truly would be a dream. Although, if this was real…. He glanced down at their joined hands. He never had a friend before; he hadn't even seen the sun until now. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad?

He nodded. "Okay. I'll be your friend."

"Yay!" Persephone jumped up and down. "And to celebrate, we'll have a giant, candy mountain!"

Snapping her fingers, a bowl the size of a canyon appeared, and within it was a pile of desserts that reached the sky. Hades gasped at the confectionary monstrosity. He had never seen food like this before, but his stomach was already rumbling at the thought of trying them.

"Hmm, this might not work in the sun." She snapped her fingers again. "My ice cream will melt."

The sun faded away, leaving them in darkness, and the moon appeared, bathing everything in a soft, white light. Then several tiny, bright lights and colorful swirls filled the sky. Hades found himself feeling more shocked than he ever thought possible.

"What's that?" He continued to stare.

"That's outer space. It's filled with stars, and planets, and asteroids, and meteoroids, and steroids…." She counted off the list on her fingers.

A thin light shot across the sky.

"Ooh, a shooting star!" Persephone giggled. "Hurry, you have to make a wish! I wish that we can be friends forever. Oh, and that I'm rich when I grow up."

"A wish?" Hades thought for a minute. So this was the cosmos his father ruled over? He could see the appeal, and it looked amazing. "I wish I can live up there someday."

"In the sky? Weird." She shook her head." Anyway, let's eat!"

He was about to run to the mountain of sweets, but Persephone stopped him with her hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" She frowned. "You're supposed to let me go first because I'm lady."

He gave her a deadpan look. "So?"

"Okay, then–" She put her hands on her hips. "How old are you?"

"Five." He shrugged.

"Well, I'm five and a half." She made a break for the mountain. "Seniority! First dibs!"

"Hey!" He chased after her.

….

Hades laughed aloud and leaned back against his throne. He had eaten himself sick that night, or at least, that's what it felt like. Every night since then, he visited Persephone in her dream world, and they grew closer and closer.  _Then I fell for her._

….

Hades was sitting in the middle of the forest, his attention focused on the necklace he was putting together. "Finished." He held up the necklace and checked it for any errors. He had used blue flowers from the fields and strung them together with tiny diamonds and onyx. "This'll be perfect for her. I hope she likes it."

Standing up, he placed the necklace into the pocket of his himation and made his way out of the forest. It was hard to believe it had eight years since he first set foot in this place, but it definitely eased the pain of being trapped within his father. He forced himself to remain asleep despite his extreme conditions, and if he was going to be honest, he never wanted to wake up again.

"Beats living in the dark." Hades reached the clearing.

The area had been transformed from the once peaceful meadow to a  _Magical Queendom_ as Persephone always put it. The surrounding grounds were one giant courtyard, and resting in the center of it all was a grand palace that shimmered like gold in the sunlight. Leading straight to the palace entrance was a path of glowing stones that were embedded in the grass. Hades followed the path until he reached the giant double doors of the palace and rang the bell.

The door opened, and on the other side was a peacock dressed in a suit. "Prince Hades." He quickly bowed. "Come in."

"Evening, Lumiére." Stepping into the entrance hall, Hades heard music coming from upstairs. "Must be doing her singing practice again." He smiled.

"Yes, I'll let the Queen know you've arrived." The peacock flew upstairs.

Hades walked over to a large mirror that was against the left wall. He tilted his head from side to side, examining his face. His appearance was so surreal. In the real world, his body had atrophied and become skeletal while he slowly rotted away in the pit of his father, but here, he appeared vibrant and alive.

"Would she still want me around if she saw?" He knew Persephone had a kind heart, and at the very least, she would pity him.

Still, a small part of him was afraid she would reject him. He then checked his clothes, and nothing appeared unsightly or out of place. He ran his hand through the tuff of flame that hung over his face. Hearing the music stop, he made his way to the door and casually leaned against it with his arms folded.

"Aidi!"

Looking up, Hades saw Persephone standing at the top of the stairs, and he blushed. She was dressed in her usual sports jersey with matching skirt and boots, but she had changed her hair. It hung loosely around her and was covered in blonde highlights.

She rushed down the stairs and hugged him. "There you are. I was getting worried." She stepped back and smiled, her gaze meeting his.

He glanced away, in a feeble attempt to hide his shyness. "There's no need to worry about me, babe. I'm hanging in there." He pulled out the necklace and showed it to her. "I… I made this for you."

"Oh, it's beautiful." Persephone examined the necklace. "Did you really make this?"

He nodded. "It wasn't difficult."

"Well, love it. You're so sweet." She pulled the necklace over her head and fixed it around the collar of her plaid jacket.

"So this is your boyfriend."

Hades saw Persephone's face go red, and she looked a little irritated.

"Des…." She turned around to face the younger girl that was walking down the stairs. "Right. Hades, this is my little sister, Despoina."

Hades glanced the younger girl over. Persephone only mentioned her a few times, and it was usually complaining about something her sister had done. "You normally don't bring her. What's the occasion?"

"It's my birthday!" Despoina smirked, her hands on her hips. "I'm officially ten-years-old."

He snorted. "And good for you." He had forgotten that Persephone was bringing Despoina over tonight. He wanted to be with her alone, but he supposed he could tolerate the third wheel.

"Be nice." Persephone narrowed her eyes at him before returning her attention to her sister. "Des, this is Hades."

Despoina glanced him over and then circled around him. "Not bad. Looks like kind of a dork though." She looked behind him. "What do you think?"

"Excuse me?" Hades was thrown off balance from something breathing on his neck. Turning around, he saw a brilliant, black stallion standing behind him.

"That's Mr. Oats." Despoina smiled. "He's our little brother."

Persephone folded her arms. "The horse is not our brother, Des."

She turned around. "Yes, he is. He told me so."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "You can talk to horses?"

"Yes. I'm also skilled with water, so you better watch yourself around me." Despoina sneered at him. "I mean it. If I catch you doing something not nice to my sister, you'll be sorry." She held up her fists.

"Yeah." Hades laughed. "I'm shaking."

"Don't underestimate me. I might be small–" She snatched Hades by the collar, bringing him to her eye level, and pulled out a dagger. "But I'll cut you." She placed the blade against his cheek.

"Des! Behave!" Persephone glared at her. "And don't worry about Hades. He's been nothing but sweet to me."

"If you say so." Despoina huffed. "But I'm watching you." She pointed at her eyes with two fingers and then pointed at him.

Persephone groaned and took a deep breath. "So, Des, now that we're all here, what would you like to do for your birthday?"

Despoina thought for a minute and smirked. "I know. Let's have an adult party!"

Persephone shared a glance with Hades. "Adult party?"

"Yeah, we can do all the stuff that adults do." She jumped up and down. "Like driving cars, dancing girls, shooting guns, dancing girls, drinking, dancing girls, smoking, dancing girls, ooh and listening to raunchy music. And dancing girls."

"You said dancing girls like five times." Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Come on, please." Despoina pouted, her eyes becoming as big as saucers.

"I don't know." Persephone frowned. "That might be a bit much."

"Please!" Despoina sniffled. "I'll clean our room for a week."

Persephone went silent.

"Two weeks?"

Persephone looked away.

"A month?"

"I think we can come to an agreement." Grinning, Persephone turned around. "But can you make your request more specific? We're on a time limit."

"Okay." Despoina mulled it over again. "How about a club party with a little sex, drugs, and rock n'roll?"

"I think I can manage that." Persephone waved her hands. "Let's get risqué!"

With a loud poof, Persephone, Despoina, and Hades teleported to a section of the courtyard. To the right was a large stage, the middle of the area had a dance floor with poles and cages hanging overhead, and to the left was a bar.

"Now for lighting." Waving her hands again, Persephone changed the sky from day to night. Torches scattered throughout the area, and a big bonfire appeared in the center of the dance floor. "And lastly, entertainment."

Snapping her fingers, all of the animals in the courtyard transformed into scantily clad humans and filled the dance floor. A male band appeared on the stage and started playing heavy metal. Hades stared at the women grinding in the cages. They were all gorgeous, and their bodies… they had such smooth, perfect skin. Within seconds, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he passed out. It was a few moments before he saw Persephone and Despoina standing over him.

Despoina grinned. "Looks like we've got a light weight on our hands."

"Not funny." Persephone frowned at her sister before looking back at him. "Are you okay?" She held out her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hades let her help him up.

"Got a little  _excited_ ?" Despoina winked at him.

His face went pink. "Anyway, what are we going to do first?"

Despoina giggled while looking at Hades and Persephone with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Now we have to dress the part."

Persephone raised an eyebrow. "Dress how?"

"You'll see." Despoina pushed them in the direction of the bathrooms.

Hades barely had a chance to argue before he had a set of clothes placed into his arms, and he was shoved into the men's room. Sighing, he examined the outfit.

"Her sister is crazy." It was in the girls' modern style, and consisted of a white shirt, a black leather jacket, a pair of black, leather boots, and a pair of really tight, black leather pants. "I am not wearing this."

"Hey, hurry up in there!" He heard Despoina's voice echo from the other side of the door. "We don't have all night!"

Without warning, she opened the door and stepped inside. She was wearing a fishnet top with a black tank top underneath, a black skirt, and red and black stripped stockings with red, platform boots. A black top hat sat tilted on her frazzled hair.

He frowned. "This outfit is ridiculous, and it looks way too tight."

"Dude, that's the point." She grinned. "Besides, don't you want to impress my sister with that tight butt of yours? You're not going to keep her around for long if you don't learn to show off the merchandise."

"Excuse me?" Hades wasn't sure if he should feel embarrassed or angered by her boldness, but his skin tinged red either way.

She raised an eyebrow. "Neat trick. Is your skin like some kind of mood ring?"

He sighed. "Fine. I'll change."

"Okay." Despoina leaned against the doorway and stared at him expectantly.

"I don't need an audience." He narrowed his eyes.

"Alright." She shut the door, but he heard her mutter, "Kill joy."

Hades quickly got undressed and put on the new outfit. It looked okay, but it was still uncomfortable. He opened the door and stepped outside where Despoina was waiting. "There? You happy?"

"Perfect." She looked at the next door. "Come out, Percy! See how sexy I made your boyfriend!"

"No way!" Persephone called out from behind the door. "I'm not going out like this!"

"Percy, it's my birthday!" Despoina stomped her feet. "You promised!"

"Alright! Alright!" She sighed.

When Persephone walked outside, Hades gasped. She was wearing a shiny, strapless, white dress and matching heel shoes. Her hair had been fluffed and strung out all around her, and her face had been adorned with heavy make up that made her look older than she was. She stumbled over to them, with one hand pulling down at the short hem of her dress while the other was blocking the view of her chest.

"Huh?" Hades furrowed his brow.

He could have sworn Persephone was flat, but now she was trying to hide a sizable bust that was clearly too big for her premature body.

"Uh…." He looked away. "You look different. When did you…?"

Realizing he was staring, Persephone held both arms over her chest. S

She glanced away and replied in a meek tone, "I took my bindings off. Does it look bad?"

"No… no, of course not." Hades shook his head. "You look amazing."

He felt his heart skip a beat when she smiled at him. She was the most beautiful girl he knew; granted, she was the only girl his age that he knew. Still, he doubted he find anyone else like her, and despite her arguments to the contrary, he believed she was an actual goddess. Perhaps one day, he'd get her to realize it too.

Despoina smirked and patted her sister on the back. "See, I told you he'd like it."

Taking a step forward, Persephone tripped on her heels and fell on top of Hades. They crashed to the ground, their faces red and their minds dazed. He didn't know why, but he was certain Despoina was doing this to them on purpose.

"Hey, save that for later." Despoina grabbed them by the hands and rushed them to the bar. "It's time to get wasted!"

The three of them went to the front counter that was aligned with tall stools. Despoina sat on the left, Persephone was in the middle, and Hades chose the right. The back wall was filled to the brim with bottles of liquor, all different sizes and colors. A bartender walked out from the back room and stood behind the counter. She had long, curly blonde hair and was naked except for the black apron she had tied around her hips.

"Greetings and welcome to the Kitty Bar!" She gave them a bright smile, her cat ears twitching a little. "I am overjoyed that I'm the one who gets to serve you, Queen Persephone." She bowed. "As well as you, Prince Hades and Princess Despoina."

Hades' jaw dropped, and he was sure his eyes had fallen out of his head. The bartender was a perfect hourglass, and his gaze was glued to her huge, jiggling bust while she retrieved proper utensils for them. She turned and bent over to get the menus, revealing her fleshly rear, and Hades had to bite his lip to suppress an aroused groan, his hair wildly, fluttering around him. He heard Persephone scoff, and from the corner of his eye saw her fold her arms with a sneer on her face.

The bartender bowed to Persephone again. "So what can I get for you, your Majesty?"

"Hmm…." Persephone glanced the menu over.

Despoina dreamily stared at the bartender. "How about one of everything?"

"Coming right up!" The bartender returned to the back room.

Despoina glanced at Hades. "Could you be anymore obvious?"

Persephone nudged him, finally snapping him out of his trance. He shook his head and rubbed his side. "What? Did you see her?"

"She's nothing special." Persephone snorted.

"Yeah. Percy and I see naked people all the time on t.v." Despoina snickered. "Hey, we're all virgins here, but the way you're acting, you might as well stamp the word on your forehead, Dork-brain."

Blushing, Hades glared at her. It wasn't his fault that he had never seen women before. Sure, he had started to fantasize about Persephone, but he hadn't actually  _seen_ her since they were little. Back then, she looked exactly like him except for one major detail; although now…. Biting his lip again, he cursed Despoina for making him wear such tight pants.

"Here we are!" The bartender returned with several trays of food stacked along her arms and gently sat each one of them on the counter. "One of everything!" She then walked to the back wall and started mixing drinks.

The three of them started eating while the bartender placed glasses of various colorful drinks on the counter. Hades tried a few. Some were bitter, others were sweet, and a few burned his throat all the way down.

"What's this one?" Persephone held up a shot glass filled with an auburn liquid.

"That would be rum, your Majesty." The bartender giggled.

Taking a sip, Persephone smacked her lips a bit and smiled. "I think I like this one the most. Can I have the bottle?"

"Sure." The bartender handed her the bottle.

Persephone drank what was left in the shot glass before popping open the bottle and chugging the whole thing down.

"Uh, should you be drinking that…?" Hades saw her fall backwards off of her stool and quickly jumped down to help her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She hiccuped. "That was delicious."

He helped her back onto the stool, and she did her best to steady herself.

"Might want to take it easy, Percy." Despoina furrowed her brow. "No reason to get yourself sick."

"Hey, if I start seeing pink elephants, I'll let you know." Persephone snapped her fingers. "Until then, bartender, I'd like three more bottles of rum, and let's get a round of smokes."

"As you wish, your Majesty!" The bartender bowed before scurrying off to retrieve the requested items.

Persephone continued to happily chug down more rum while Despoina set her sight on the cigarettes. She lit one up with a lighter and inhaled before exhaling a large puff of smoke.

"Not bad." She coughed a little and looked at her sister. "Wanna try?"

"I'm good." Persephone was now in the middle of the second bottle.

Hades reached for one of the cigars. It was bigger than the cigarettes, but he was sure there wasn't much of a difference. He ignited the tip of his thumb and lit the cigar. Inhaling, he felt a surreal rush to his brain. His lungs filled with smoke, but it quickly dissipated. The aroma was smoky like ash, and he loved it. It was almost like these things were made for him.

"So, bartender…." Despoina climbed onto the counter, a sly grin on her face. "You got a name, sweet stuff?"

"Why yes. It's Arcamida." The bartender smiled.

"Arcamida? I like it." Despoina swung her legs over the counter and turned, so she was completely facing her. "Well, I'm a master guitarist. I'm sure you've heard? I have the most magical fingers in the world."

Arcamida stepped toward her. "Yes, Princess. The Queen has mentioned you from time to time." She giggled. "And rockstars are so cool. I'd love to see you play."

"You got it. Now back on subject, I wanted you to know that you're gorgeous, and would you do me the honor of being my first kiss?" She chuckled. "And possibly everything else if you're up to it?"

"Of course, Princess." Arcamida bent down and kissed her on the lips.

Hades' eyes slightly widened. While he considered Despoina to be on the obnoxious side, she definitely had more confidence than he did. Despite how much he pinned for Persephone over the years, he never had the courage to confess his feelings, let alone kiss her. Maybe tonight could be the night. This party was already setting the perfect mood. Yes, all he had to do was say the words, and….

"Your Majesty." A smooth, baritone voice called from behind them.

Turning around, Hades saw the lead singer that was with the band on stage. Judging by the man's ears and the sharp canines in his smile, he must have originally been some type of bat. He was wearing a webbed, black jacket that billowed underneath his arms, and it was unzipped in the front, showing off his bare chest and abs. He had on similar black, leather pants, but it was ripped along his legs.

"Greetings, my lady." He took Persephone's hand and kissed the top of it. "I am Vincent, lead singer of the Night Prowlers."

"It's nice to meet you." Persephone blushed and sat her hand back on her lap.

"Forgive my intrusion, but everyone in the Queendom knows that you have the most beautiful voice in the universe." Vincent went on one knee. "I would be humbled if you joined me in a duet, your Majesty."

Hades did his best to suppress the rage that was rising in him. He rarely ever got angry, but the sight of this sleaze-ball going anywhere near Persephone made his ichor boil.

Persephone laughed. "That sounds like a great idea, and my sister can play as well." She jumped down from her stool and wobbled a bit from all the drinking she had been doing. "Come on, you guys, we're hitting the dance floor.

Despoina pulled away from Arcamida and winked at her. "Let's go, sweet stuff. You can watch me in action."

Everyone made their way to the dance floor, and Hades trailed behind the group with a frown on his face. They reached the sea of dancers, who quickly parted to let them through. Hades found a corner in the shadows to hide in; leaning against the wall, he folded his arms and glared at Vincent from a distance. The crowd cheered Persephone and Despoina on, and Despoina started doing some riffs on her guitar. It looked like all of her bragging was justified, for she was actually very good.

The women instantly swooned and swarmed around her while she continued her solo, and the band followed her lead. Persephone took her cue and began to sing, her voice entrancing everyone like a siren. Hades sighed and looked away when he saw Vincent singing and dancing next to her. He wished he was the one on stage beside her, but unfortunately, he didn't have much of a voice. He remained in the corner and sulked for so long that he didn't realize when the song ended.

"What are you doing all the way over here?"

Turning around, Hades saw Persephone standing next to him. "Uh, nothing. I was trying to avoid getting trampled by the crowd."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"No. No." He ran a hand through is hair. "Why would you think that?" He snuck a few nervous glances at Vincent.

Persephone followed his gaze before folding her arms. "Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"Jealous? Don't be silly. I'm as cool as they come." He gave her a wide, toothy grin.

"Uh huh." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I want you to come dance with me."

"What?" Hades blushed while she pulled him out onto the floor.

He didn't have any sense of coordination either, but watching Persephone lamely try to dance help put him at ease. Soon, he was letting the music carry him away while she twirled around him, trying to mimic the provocative moves of the caged dancers.

….

"Let go of me!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Hades looked in the direction of the outburst and saw the doors creak open. Pain and Panic came struggling through while pulling a large net behind them; inside were two imps, who were screaming and squirming to break free.

Pain smiled. "We got who you wanted, Boss."

He watched his minions set the net in front of him, and the two new imps crawled out. One had lavender skin. His horns bent back and then curved forward like antenna, and in the center was a tuff of white hair that stuck out like a mohawk. His body was very thin with a narrow face, and the tips of his small wings and tail were pointed.

The second imp had baby blue skin and a pear-shaped figure. His face was rounded, and he had long, blueish-silver hair that hung down to his jawline. His horns were curled back like a ram, and his wings were abnormally huge, each slightly bigger than his entire body and bounced slightly with his movements.

"What's the meaning of this? Who do you think you are?" The lavender imp glared at Hades, his hands on his hips. His voice was aggressive, but was a little high-pitched, making him sound like a teenager.

Hades' skin turned red. "I believe I'm a god."

"A god?" Whimpering, the imp shrunk back. "I…."

The blue imp stepped forward. "Forgive him." He spoke with a deep baritone, his expression calm. "He can be very rash. You must be the Lord of the Underworld."

"Correct." Hades smiled. "Although, that is officially my old title." He gestured to himself. "You are now standing before the Lord of Olympus."

"It is an honor to meet you, my Lord." The blue imp bowed. "I am Lust, and this is my mate, Vanity."

"Lust and Vanity. Well, aren't you two a cute couple?" Hades clasped his hands against each other. "I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here, so let's cut to the chase. I'm looking for some new servants, and you two are my first draft pick."

"What?" Vanity frowned. "No way. God or no god, we're no one's slaves!"

Lust put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him that Hades couldn't hear. He returned his attention to the god. "Are we to serve you, my Lord?"

He shook his head. "Actually, you will be personal attendants to Persephone."

"This Persephone…." Lust raised an eyebrow. "She is your mate, yes?"

"Sure, of course. What does it matter?" Hades' skin turned orange.

"Excuse us." Lust and Vanity turned their backs to him and started whispering amongst themselves. After a few minutes, Lust finally turned around. "Very well, Lord Hades, you have yourself a deal. We shall meet Persephone and decide whether or not she is worthy of our servitude."

" _If_ she is worthy?" Hades scowled, making Pain and Panic cower in the corner. "What makes you think you have a choice!"

"Those are our conditions." Lust remained calm, unfazed by Hades' anger. "If we do not find her worthy, then you are free to kill us."

"Really? Just like that?" Hades narrowed his eyes.

"Yes." Lust smiled. "Death is always an honorable choice. So, Lord Hades, do we have a deal or not?"

"Hmm." Hades tapped his chin and stared at Lust and Vanity before smirking. "I like your style, Lust. You've got a deal!" He shook Lust's hand.


	7. Once Upon A Dream

Persephone felt a sharp pain in her stomach and jolted upright, but when she pulled the covers away, she saw nothing.

"I'm back in the Underworld? Hades must've… aah!" She dug her hands in her hair, her mind filling with memories long forgotten. She slowly inhaled and exhaled. _I need to find him._

Slipping out of bed, she lost her balance and fell on the floor. Looking at her hand, she noticed a fresh cut in her palm, but within seconds, the skin healed.

_I've never healed that fast before._ Using the bed for support, she stood up. "What's all this stuff?" She glanced around the room; her bed was surrounded with gifts.  _Did Hades leave those here_ _or the imps_ _?_

She spotted a plain, white dress at the end of the bed. She blushed at the thought of Hades seeing her naked and quickly put the dress on.

She walked over to the full-length mirror and felt her heart leap from her chest at the sight of her mortal form. She'd forgotten how pale her skin used to be and was displeased that her freckles remained. She ran a hand through her hair and grimaced when her fingers entangled in her curly strands. The humidity wasn't doing her any favors. She returned to the bed and pulled a brush out of the nightstand; sitting down, she started fixing her hair.

 _I can't sense where Hades or the imps are anymore._ _Does this mean I'm finally cured?_ Persephone glanced down at her hands. "Des…?" 

There was no response. Tying up her hair, she put her brush away and walked over to the first pile of gifts. 

"Let's see what you got for me." She opened a few of the boxes and gasped. "Every gem in the world must be here." 

Moving to the next boxes, she unwrapped tons of lovely gowns.  S ome of the gowns shimmered and had multiple layers while others were revealing, and a few were indecent.

“At least he was smart enough not to get me anything in green. Okay… I guess he got a little carried away. I wish I could wear some of these, but they're tailored to my goddess measurements." She put a hand to her chin. "How  _did_ he get my measurements?"

She noticed a pedestal amongst the boxes. Resting on it was a diamond crown that had tiny pieces of sapphire and onyx encrusted into it, and circling around the crown was a necklace made from the same gems.

"Wait… this…." Persephone picked up the necklace. "It looks exactly like the one he gave me when we were young." She closed her eyes. "Aidi."

….

The party ended, and Persephone took a moment to catch her breath after dancing for hours. Despoina had retired to the grassy field right outside of the stage; she was leaning against Mr. Oats while playing on her guitar. The dancing girls surrounded her, swooning over her every action.

"Oh, Princess Despoina, you play so well." Arcamida giggled.

A green haired dancer nodded. "You're the goddess of rock."

Despoina grinned. "Yeah, I know I'm awesome."

Persephone shook her head and smiled. "Happy Birthday, Des."

She returned her attention to Hades, who was waiting for her at the exit. She'd thank her sister later, for his outfit really brought out his better attributes. She blushed, knowing she was thinking about things she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. Ever since they got older, she became curious. She wanted to know what it was like, and perhaps tonight, she'd finally get that chance.

She walked over to Hades. "Why don't we head over to the oasis?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

Persephone kicked her heels off. "Ugh, my feet are killing me. I don't understand how older girls can wear these all the time. Though my mother would have a fit if she saw me now. She says only whores dress this way. You don't think I'm like that, do you?"

"No way." He shook his head. "You're beautiful, smart, and talented. Don't compare yourself to hetaera and pornai women. You're way above them."

"Not even how I look?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "My mother makes me wear that stupid binder, and it's painful. She yells at me that I need to hide myself, or else I deserve to be hurt by men."

"That's horrible," he said.

"I know." She threw her arms in the air. "She wants me to stay a little kid forever."

"Aren't you planning to take Despoina and run away from home?" He folded his arms.

"Yes, but not until I'm sixteen; otherwise, we'll have no chance of supporting ourselves." She bit her lip. "Aidi, have you ever wondered what it's like? You know, to be… intimate with someone?"

"Well, I…." He tinged pink all the way down to his shoulders. "I… um, I mean…." He looked away and tugged on the collar of his shirt.

"No reason to be shy." She giggled. "I think about you."

His gaze snapped back to hers. "You… you do?"

She nodded. "Do you think about me?"

"Yes," Hades muttered, and he walked at a quicker pace as though he'd die of embarrassment if he didn't get away from her.

Persephone caught up with him and held his hand. She felt his hand shake a little before affectionately entangling with hers. "Would you ever want to try it?"

"Try?" He stared at her with wide eyes. "What's gotten into you?"

She glanced away from him. She didn't know why she was being so bold; it was probably from all that rum. She wasn't sure if she was ready to try it herself, and she didn't even know where to start. Perhaps what she needed was a little research? Her father had been away at work for weeks, and her mother was going to be gone all day running errands tomorrow. The house would be free for her to find the information she needed, and the next night, she would surprise Hades with an extravaganza of ecstasy. She felt her heart flutter at the thought of being with him in such a way.

"Nothing, silly." Persephone laughed. "I was only joking."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Of course."

Entering the oasis, they headed down the path of glowing stones. Fireflies flittered around, illuminating the exotic trees and flowers that surrounded them.

"It was a nice party." Hades pushed back the giant branch of a weeping willow. "Your sister's not that bad."

"Well, she can be a handful sometimes." She smiled. "But I don't know what I'd do without her."

They reached the center of the oasis, which had a giant, mystical waterfall that poured into a glowing pond.

Hades sat on the shore. "So what now?" His voice trembled slightly, and she could see a faint shade of pink appear on his cheeks.

Persephone sat beside him and hugged her arms around her knees. She knew what he was thinking. The setting, them being alone together, and the attraction in the air; it was the perfect recipe for an adult romance. Unfortunately, they were two teens without a clue in their heads. "So, uh, how are things going with your father?"

"Oh… I…." He looked surprised that his father was her choice of topic. "Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you. I know we planned to take down my father, but you shouldn't help me."

She frowned. "I thought we were in this together?"

"I know we were, but I've been mulling this over." He turned away. "I don't want my father to hurt you like he did my mom."

She closed her eyes. "Aidi…." She remembered how hysterical he had been the day his father devoured him. It was weeks before he calmed down and spoke to her.

"Besides, he's  _my_ father." Hades folded his arms. "A man has to take care of his own problems."

"A man?" She rolled her eyes. "Aidi, you're thirteen, and your voice cracks every chance it gets."

"No, it–" His voice jumped an octave, and he quickly covered his mouth and cleared his throat. "No, it doesn't."

"Uh huh." She narrowed her eyes. "Your father is dangerous. Do you think I'd be happy if you died?" She stood up. "No. I'd hate myself forever, knowing you'd still be alive if I hadn't let you convince me to sit on the sidelines, so you could off and play tough guy."

Hades stood as well. "You don't think I'd be upset if my father killed you or worse, and I wasn't strong enough to stop him?"

"That's because what we're planning to do is risky, but it's a risk worth fighting for." She smiled. "We're a team, and you don't have to worry about being strong enough if we work together."

"But… you're all I have." Tears formed in his eyes. "My mom is long gone, and I'm trapped in darkness all the time. Every now and then I hear voices, like there's other people trapped with me, but I never find anyone. I don't know; maybe I'm going crazy." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please, Persephone, I can't lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either. That's why I want to protect you because I…." Persephone stepped forward and kissed him. 

She was worried when he went still and didn't kiss her back. However, she jumped away when she heard fire crackers echoing around them. Hades' eyes were glazed over, and his hair was flaring out of control. The tiny flames sprung from his head and popped in the air, creating colorful sparkles. 

"Wow. I thought you had to do more than that to see fireworks,”  she said.

"Per– Persephone?" Hades blushed. "You…?"

Her face went red, her gaze drifting to her feet. "I think I'm in love with you."

He stammered for a while, struggling to string together a proper sentence. "You… you are?"

"Well, I like being with you, and I think about you all the time." She furrowed her brow. "Is that not love?"

He met her gaze. "Makes sense to me."

She took his hands in hers. "I'll find a way to get to you."

He smiled. "And after we defeat my father, I'll marry you."

"Uh, marry?" She shied away from him. "Isn't it a little early to be worrying about that stuff?"

"Gods don't follow mortal rules. In my time, we could marry right now if we wanted." Hades pointed to the sky. "Think about it. You at my side ruling the whole universe as a goddess. You'd be free to do whatever you want, have whatever you want, anything your heart desires."

"Anything?" Persephone wasn't sure what to feel. How many people got the opportunity to rule the universe, and while being a powerful, immortal entity at that? The thought of the two of them being together sounded too good to be true. "I accept."

"Really?" Receiving a nod, Hades cupped her face with his hand and lightly stroked her cheek with this thumb. "My Queen."

She smiled. "My Prince."

He kissed her, and it was going okay until his fangs wedged themselves between her braces. Persephone yelped, and they did their best to unhook themselves without yanking out her front teeth.

"Ow." She placed her hands over her mouth.

"Sorry. Sorry." Hades tried to comfort her. "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's alright." She held his hand. "Let's focus on enjoying what's left of the night." She sat back down on the shore, and he sat beside her. She cuddled next to him, her head nuzzling underneath his chin; feeling his arm wrap around her waist, she smiled.

….

Persephone stared at the necklace and sat on the bed.  _That was ages ago._ Emotions she had kept locked away rushed through her. Hearing the doorknob click, she turned and saw Hades enter the room. He was humming and looked more cheerful than she had seen him in a long time.

"It's amazing how life doesn't turn out how you planned, isn't it?" She gave him a solemn smile.

He looked toward the bed, and his eyes widened. "Persephone, you're awake. How are you feeling?" He walked over to her.

"Fine, I think." She held up the necklace. "You remember?"

"I thought you were dead, but after a while it felt like you being here couldn't simply be a coincidence." Hades placed a hand under her chin. "Why didn't you tell me it was you?"

"I couldn't." She cried. "I forced myself to forget everything; it was the only way I could cope." She paused, recalling what had transpired the last time they saw each other. "I'm sorry about before. I know all of this must be confusing, but I can explain."

"No need." He chuckled. "I already know what's going on. You were infected with a virus that turned you into a monster."

Her lips tightened into a frown. "How do you know?"

"That  _other_ side of yours spilled the beans." Hades folded his arms. "Remember when you found me by the Styx?" He received a nod. "Yeah, well, I was on my way to see you when I passed out and had this dream where I was in Raccoon City."

She blinked a few times before glancing away. "The same thing happened to me when…." She put a hand to her mouth, tears rolling down her cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Angel-face." He smiled. "I know it wasn't you doing those things."

"No, not that." She sniffled. "It's about Minthe. I guess you two had a disagreement because she picked a fight with me and then… it was an accident. She wouldn't stop, I hit my head, and now she's…." She buried her face in her hands. "I killed her."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, calm down. It's not a big deal."

"How can you say that?" She looked at him. "She was your girlfriend."

"Emphasis on  _was_ ." Hades sighed. "Things weren't working out between us, and our little  _disagreement_ was actually a break up."

"Right. You were only dating her to make me jealous." He looked at her with surprise, and she put her hands on her hips. "I learned some things about you in my dream too, but break up or not, Minthe's dead. Shouldn't you be upset?"

"About what?" He shrugged. "She's dead because she couldn't take a hint."

"I guess." Persephone turned away.  _How can he be this heartless? Surely, he must've felt something for her?_ Putting a hand to her stomach, she leaned against the headboard and took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" He put a hand to her forehead.

"I feel dizzy." She groaned. "I need some food and water."

"No problem." Hades stood. "What would you like?"

"Anything that's not meat is fine." She closed her eyes.

"As you wish, my sweet." He created a table with two chairs in the empty space of the room. A candle appeared in the middle of the table, and two sets of filled plates and silverware appeared on either side.

"Thank you." Persephone went to sit down.

"Of course." He helped her into her chair before sitting down himself.

She picked up a slice of apple from her plate and bit into it. She moaned a little, the sweet flavor of the fruit filling her mouth. "This tastes so good." She continued eating, moaning happily with every bite she took.

"Geez, I didn't know my cooking put you in the mood." He grinned. "I'll keep that in mind."

She blushed. "I haven't been able to taste food since I died." She took a sip of water and enjoyed the cool sensation. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I already did." Hades slurped the last worm he had into his mouth like spaghetti.

She looked at his plate. It was completely full a moment ago, and now it was picked clean. "That was fast."

"I haven't eaten anything since yesterday." He took a sip from his martini and smiled. "Which brings me to our next topic." He reached over the table and took her hands in his. "Great news, Angel-face. I'm officially the new ruler of Olympus."

She furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, after you knocked me unconscious with a vase–" His tone made her shrink back sheepishly. "Your sister appeared and explained what was going on, so I went to Olympus and got rid of everyone using the virus."

"What?" Her eyes went wide.  _He can't be serious? He didn't actually…._

"Yeah." He nodded. "In my dream, that other side of yours was able to injure me, so I put two and two together and realized that you had the ability to kill a god. And bada bing, goodbye, Olympians!" His hair flared across his shoulders.

"No, no, no. What were you thinking?" She backed away from the table and knocked her chair over. "This is why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you messing with this stuff. How could you use me like that?"

"I saw an opportunity and went for it." He frowned. "They deserved it after what they did to you. After what Zeus…." His eyes went dark.

"I wanted Zeus to kill me." She sighed. "Didn't Despoina tell you?" She glanced away.  _Des, why did you get him involved?_

"Yes, but that doesn't excuse what he did." Hades stood. "I wasn't going to walk away after seeing the state he left you in. After finding out he raped you."

Her breath hitched in her throat. "Zeus didn't rape me."

"Come again?" Hades furrowed his brow. "He said…."

"He was lying." She huffed. "When I went to see him, Zeus acted like a jerk and didn't listen to a word I said. He tried to kiss me, but I hit him and ran away. Before I could escape, he chased me and stabbed me with a lightning bolt."

"That's it?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." She nodded. "He never touched me, I swear." She could see relief wash over Hades' face, but then his features quickly contorted with anger. "What exactly did he say to you?"

He smoothed a hand over his hair. "It's not important. What matters is that you're safe while Zeus, Jerkules, and the rest of the Olympians are rotting away in Tartarus."

"All of them?" She lowered her head. "Even my mother?"

"Yeah, why?" Hades walked over to her.

Demeter was dead, and she was the one who killed her. Persephone had been spiteful toward her mother since she'd been banished, but the reality of the situation made her sick to her stomach."Nothing. It's fine." She met his gaze. "You at least made sure the virus wouldn't spread out of Olympus, didn't you?"

He took too long to answer for her liking, and he held up his hands in surrender when she tapped her foot impatiently. "Of course."

"You're certain?" She narrowed her eyes. "Because if even one drop of infected blood reaches the mortals…."

He placed his hands on her shoulder and guided her back to the table. "Relax, Angel-face. I took care of it."

"If you say so." She sat back down and continued eating. She was silent for a while, trying to process everything. "Did Zeus suffer?" She could settle her uneasiness, knowing that Zeus was regretting the day he crossed her path.

Hades chuckled. "Yes, it was rather fun."

"Good." She took a sip of water. "So what now?"

"First, I want to make sure you have a swift recovery. Bringing you back wasn't easy, considering what happened to you." He sat down. "Although, it does explain why you're afraid of Cerberus."

Her eyes widened. "You saw?"

"I had to invoke your memories, so yeah, a little." He cringed. "That Licker did a number on you."

She winced at the reminder. "The whole thing was a nightmare, and I feel like I haven't woken up since."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He placed his hand over hers and lightly squeezed it. "It'll make you feel better."

Persephone hadn't spoken to anyone about what had happened; instead, she locked the pain inside, letting it slowly eat away at her until she became numb. "I guess I could."

"Go on." He gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Tell, Uncle Hades, all about it."

She nodded. "I spent a long time trying to understand how I survived when everyone else died, but I realized it was because I always had divine blood in me. When I woke up, I felt like I was detached from myself. My body was ripped to shreds, but I could still move. I couldn't feel anything but a ravenous hunger, and when I tried to speak, I could barely form any words. I wandered around, trying to find my sister, and then Ada found me."

Hades frowned. "As in Ada Wong?"

"You know her?" She looked at him curiously.

"In my dream." He folded his arms. "The bitch was a double agent."

"Well, I see you two got along swimmingly." She sighed. "Anyway, she had a deal with a man named, Albert Wesker, and she used me as bait to get out of the city."

That day was permanently etched into her mind. She recalled soaring through the air under the helicopter Ada had hitched a ride on and watching the city vanish in a mushroom cloud of smoke.

Hades glanced away, his expression deep in thought. "Wesker? The man who experimented on you?"

"What exactly happened in your dream?" She stared at him.

"Long story." He shrugged.

"Once I was in Wesker's clutches, I became a thing for him and the other scientists to cut open and play with." She lowered her head. "The pain became so unbearable that I gave up. I was so desperate to forget everything that I hid within myself, and that  _other_ me appeared. At first, it was okay. She protected me, but her behavior became more malicious as time went on, especially after I found you."

"I noticed." Hades leaned back. "But why was she so…  _delightful_ ?"

"Because she was born out of my despair." She took another bite of food. "She couldn't feel anything else, and I guess she decided simply being my other wasn't good enough."

Hades smiled. "Well, everything's going to be fine now. You can rest for tonight, and tomorrow, we'll get your godhood restored."

She tilted her head. "Can't we do it now? You could give me that ambrosia potion like my mother did."

"Tiny problem." Hades emphasized his point by pushing his index finger and thumb together. "You were killed by Zeus, and if a deity gets their godhood taken away by another deity, the only way to restore it is by earning it."

She frowned. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Go on a hero's quest, something to do with strength of heart, blah, blah, blah, pointless details." He stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But don't worry, I'm going to find a loophole, and you'll be back to normal. Oh, and I almost forgot." He looked toward the door. "Boys, get in here now!"

Pain and Panic appeared in the room along with two new imps Persephone didn't recognize. "More servants?"

"Persephone, this is Lust and Vanity. They're going to be your attendants." He gestured to the imps. "Boys, this is your new Mistress."

"Mine?" She sighed. "Hades, I really appreciate the gifts and everything, but you didn't have to go this far."

"Why not? You deserve it." He placed an arm around her shoulders. "And if memory serves me correctly, someone has a special occasion coming up. March 20th, I believe?"

"What are you…?" Persephone gasped. "My birthday's tomorrow. I completely forgot, not that I've had a reason to celebrate it."

"Well, now you do." Hades placed a hand under her chin. "Happy Birthday, Angel-face." He leaned down, but stopped when he heard giggling.

Turning, Persephone saw Pain and Panic covering their mouths and snickering while Lust and Vanity watched them with amused expressions.

Hades' skin tinged red. "This isn't a peep show!" He threw a fireball at the imps. "Get back to work!"

Vanity jumped into Lust's arms, and they hid under the table. Pain and Panic were directly hit and turned into rats; they scurried out of the room.

Hades quickly calmed himself down and smiled at Persephone. "I'll see you in the morning; I have some other things to take care of." He stood in the doorway. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Persephone waved to him while he left.  _Well, this has certainly been a drastic change of events._ She sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Did you see the temper on that guy? There's no way we can stay here." Vanity crawled out from under the table.

Lust shushed him before turning his attention to Persephone and gave her a slight bow. "Greetings, Lady Persephone. Since we are past introductions, how may my mate and I be of service to you?"

"Well…." She furrowed her brow. "I suppose I should get to know both of you first."

Lust nodded. "What would you like to know, my Lady?"

She thought for a minute. "Where are you two from?"

"Pandora's box, like all of our kind." He smiled. "Vanity and I escaped together, and we've been with each other ever since."

"Aww, that's so sweet." She put a hand to her chest. "Do you have any special abilities like Pain and Panic?"

"Of course." Vanity put his hands at his sides as though he putting them in pockets. "But unlike those shapeshifting idiots, we're able to bring out the darkest desires in mortals."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why only mortals?"

Vanity sighed. "Because gods are too strong to succumb to our trickery."

"Though  _I've_ never really had to trick them anyway." Lust rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't believe some of the stories I could tell you about the Olympians, especially Zeus. That guy does not have an off switch."

"Uh, I think I'll pass." Persephone gave a nervous giggle; she wasn't in the mood to hear about Zeus' sexual escapades. "So how do you bring out mortals' desires?"

"Quite simple." Grinning, Lust enveloped himself in a puff of smoke, and when he emerged, he had taken on the appearance of a voluptuous succubus. "I see into a mortal's soul and transform myself into whatever sates their carnal cravings." His voice was a low, feminine purr that would turn any heterosexual male to mush. "For instance, if I may be as so bold, my Lady? I can sense the true passion you hold for Lord Hades." He took her hands and placed them on his shoulders. "However, I can also see even further down–"

In another puff of smoke, the succubus facade disappeared, and in it's place was….

"Leon?" Persephone stared at the new facade of the hero she had met in her dream, and if she hadn't known otherwise, she would have thought it to be the real thing.

Lust put his hand under her chin. "It seems that you've been  _aroused_ by another." His voice even sounded like Leon's, and he laughed. "A kiss in the rain. How romantic."

He leaned down, but she pushed him away. Lust landed on the floor with a poof and returned to his original form.

Persephone narrowed her eyes, her face flushed. "Too bold, thank you."

Lust groaned. "Forgive me, my Lady."

"My turn." Vanity stepped forward with a mirror in his hands, and he held it up, allowing Persephone to see her reflection. "I show mortals their true selves."

In the mirror, Persephone appeared as a strong, powerful queen, who conquered everything in her wake, including Hades, who lay dead at her feet.

"You have the potential to reign supreme." Vanity smirked. "But you are limited by the rules of society." He laughed. "Tragic, I'd say. To suffer eternity with true freedom right out of hands reach. I wonder what what you'd do to achieve such a goal."

As Vanity spoke, Persephone went into a trance; she felt crazed, her mind swirling with thoughts of world domination.

_Hades is in my way. Everyone else is dead; all I would have to do is catch him off guard and finish the job._ She shook her head. "No, I don't want those things." She closed her eyes and broke her connection to the mirror.

It shattered in Vanity's hands, making him frown. "That was fast. I've only seen demigods capable of such feats."

"That's because I'm not mortal." She looked at him, her head tilted high. "I'm a full-fledged goddess, but I lost my abilities after an ordeal with Zeus."

"That explains why your aura is a little off." Vanity put a hand to his chin.

Persephone yawned and stretched her arms. "Now, if you're done testing me, I'm going to bed." She rubbed her head. "This atmosphere is completely draining me."

"Testing? Who ever said anything about that?" Vanity chuckled nervously, his hands behind his back.

"One thing you should understand if you're to serve me–" She looked down on them. "I don't have tolerance for bullshit."

"Noted, my Lady." Lust nodded.

She crawled into bed. "I don't have anything for you two to do, so you both can relax until morning."

"Yes." Lust bowed. "Goodnight, Lady Persephone."

Vanity scoffed. "What he said."

Lying her head against the pillow, Persephone sighed and closed her eyes. She heard the imps whisper something, but she decided to ignore them.

_I_ _forgot_ _all about Leon; not that it matters. I don't even know if he was real._ Her breathing slowed, and she drifted off to sleep.

….

Despoina walked through the remains of Raccoon City, ignoring the other souls around her. 

"Percy! Can you hear me!" Receiving no answer, she sat on the ground.  _Why can't I connect with her? She isn't…._

She cringed at the thought of her sister being lost to depths of hell.

_If I hadn't died, I could've helped her._ She looked toward the sky. "You better have saved her, Dork-brain! I'll find a way to haunt you forever if you didn't!"

"Des….?"

Turning around, Despoina saw Persephone standing behind her. She was tangible and wasn't showing any wounds from death. "You're alive." She rushed over to her sister and hugged her.

Persephone returned the embrace. "I wish I could say the same about you." She pulled away and glanced over Despoina's mangled form.

"It's the way things are around here, but I'm not in any pain." Despoina shrugged. Death had numbed her mind, making her demise a fleeting memory.

Persephone looked around. "Where are we?"

"It's a spiritual limbo that's taken the form of Raccoon City." Despoina pointed at the souls. "Or what's left of it."

"Really?" Persephone's eyes slightly widened. "Does that mean mom is here?"

"I wouldn't bother. She's gone coo coo." Despoina swirled her index finger next to her head. "She didn't even recognize me; she just kept screaming about Hades taking you away from her. Although, now I'm wondering…."

"If Demeter has been our mother this whole time?" Persephone finished for her.

"Yeah." Despoina folded her arms. "It would make sense, wouldn't it?" She sat back on the ground. "So what happened?"

"Hades saved me, but he used me to take over Olympus." Persephone slumped onto the ground next to her. "He wants us to marry, but I'm feeling doubtful. He's changed so much, and not for the better. I also think he's hiding something."

"That idiot." Despoina rolled her eyes. "What do you think he's hiding?"

"I asked him if he disposed of the virus, and he was very dismissive." She sighed. "I'm worried."

"Percy, I'm not an expert on this mushy relationship stuff, but here's how I see it," Despoina said. "Has he hurt you?"

She shook her head.

"Then the choice is up to you. If you think there's somethin’ to rekindle, go for it." She shrugged. "If not, dump him, but whatever happens, I'm here for you." She looked down at herself. "You know, in spirit."

"I'm sorry, Des. It's not fair that I survived while you ended up like this." Persephone wiped her face. "If I had been stronger, you wouldn't have…." She buried her face in her hands.

"Percy, don't cry. We did what we could; it was a crazy situation." Despoina hugged her.

"But I'm your elder sister. It's my job to protect you, and I failed." Persephone sobbed. "I need you, Des. I don't want to leave you behind."

Standing, Despoina walked in front of her sister and moved her hands from her face. "It's not your fault." She wiped a tear from Persephone's cheek. "I can rest in peace, knowing that you'll be alright." A bright light surrounded her. "So don't worry about me. Go on and live."

The light surrounded Persephone as well. "So this is it? We're saying goodbye?"

"It's not like we have a choice." Despoina embraced her. 

She was doing all she could to put on a brave face for Persephone's sake, but on the inside, she was dying all over again. Without her sister, she would be trapped alone in this limbo, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face that fate.

_I'll have to accept it._ Pulling away, she met Persephone's gaze and forced a smile. "I love you, Persephone."

"I…." Persephone sniffled. "I love you too, Despoina. Please, don't go. I can't…."

"Tell the dork I said thanks." Despoina stepped away from Persephone and watched her vanish in the light. She sat back on the ground and huddled her arms around her legs, her head resting on her knees. "Go on. Live a happily life. I'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll be…." She silently cried while repeating the phrase over and over.

….

Persephone's eyes snapped open, and her face was already wet with tears. She finally had to accept it. Her sister was gone, and she wasn't coming back. Turning on her side, she cried and remained that way for almost an hour.

"Oh, Des." She sniffled.  _At least I got to say goodbye._ She put a hand on her forehead.  _Maybe I should get cleaned up. A nice bath will help me relax._

She quietly slid out of bed, not wanting to disturb Lust and Vanity, and pulled out a towel and some special soaps from her nightstand. She noticed something glint from underneath her bed, and she pulled out a metallic suitcase. 

"I forgot I left my research up here. I'll dispose of it later." She placed the suitcase back under the bed.

Persephone left her room and entered the bathing chambers that were a few doors down. She walked over to the large pool in the center of the room, and she was grateful to be in the home of a god. The water remained warm and refilled itself after each use. She opened a bottle of essence and poured it into the bath. The water instantly bubbled up with suds, and a fresh citrus tang filled the air.

She got undressed and sighed when she stepped into the bath, the heat relaxing her muscles. "That hits the spot."

She began to wash herself, her mind wandering. Regardless of what Despoina said, she would always feel guilty for not protecting her.

_"Go on and live."_

The words echoed in Persephone's mind, and she slowly nodded. "I'll try for you, Des, but where do I go from here?" The world had drastically changed overnight, and the offer to be Hades' queen was tempting.  _I love him, but is it for who he's become or who he was?_

She thought about the boy she knew all those years ago. Hades had been sweet, bashful, and never had a short fuse. Despite the tragedy he went through, he had so much hope in his eyes, and he cared for others. Now, he was angry, bitter, manipulative, and all the hope and kindness had been ripped out of him. Even his plan to take over Olympus. What was once a noble quest to defeat his tyrant father and bring peace to his family had become a vengeful conquest, leaving nothing but blood shed in its wake. And that blood was on her hands.

_Still, his old self seems to emerge when I'm around._ She washed her hair.  _But for how long?_

Leaving the bath, she wrapped the towel around herself and returned to her bed chambers. Stepping in front of the mirror, she sighed; she had changed a lot too. Back then, despite her living situation, she had been the headstrong one, who kept control of things. She had a whole world to herself and looked after Despoina and Hades, but now the rug had been pulled out from underneath her.

She couldn't protect her loved ones, she lost her life, she became a monster, a murderer, and the dreams she had for the future had been crushed. Now she was so broken mentally, physically, and emotionally that it took all of her will power to keep herself together even at this moment.

"Looks like the fairytale turned into a nightmare for both of us." Persephone smiled half-heartedly before glancing back at the crown and necklace. _Then again, just because our story derailed from the typical hero and princess tale, doesn't mean I should call it quits._ _There's still a chance to have a happy ending. Why not take it?_ _I deserve it after everything I've been through._

She glanced at the bed. She wasn't tired, and after leaving her sister, she didn't want to be alone. 

_Maybe I should go see Hades; even though it is the middle of the night. Hmm._ She grinned and looked at the swarths of clothes.  _But I have nothing to wear. Not that I have to wear anything, but I'm not some classless floozy._

She walked over to the imps and poked Lust on the shoulder.

He stirred a bit before opening his eyes. "Yes, my Lady?"

"Sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering if you two could help me?" Persephone bent down to his eye level.

He yawned and shook Vanity awake.

"What?" Vanity mumbled.

"Up. Now. Lady Persephone has a task for us." Lust folded his arms.

"I'm planning to meet up with Hades, and I want to look presentable." She bit her lip.

Vanity raised an eyebrow. "Presentable how?"

"You know, something alluring that brings out my features–" Her voice faded until they were barely able to hear her. "But also simple enough to wear to bed."

The imps shared a glance before Vanity chuckled and smirked. "I can assume we won't be seeing you for the rest of the night?"

Persephone frowned. "Too bold."

"Vanity and I will see what we can do, my Lady." Lust bowed.

Persephone returned to the mirror and removed her towel.

"Now, let's see." Vanity pulled out a piece of string and started to measure her.

"My, you have an exquisite hourglass figure." Lust glanced her over. "It's no wonder Lord Hades is smitten with you."

"Uh, thanks." Persephone blushed.

"Almost. Ha, there." Vanity gave the measurements to his mate.

"Let's try something simple." Lust stood in her front of her.

He transformed into a duplicate of her, except he was wearing a white and sheer baby-doll. It cinched right under the bust, allowing the material to push the cleavage together and up. The bottom billowed out, barely covering the butt, and underneath was a lace thong that wrapped high over the hips.

"Does this please you, my Lady?" he said.

"It's perfect. Thank you." She pulled the outfit off of Lust and put it on herself. Looking into the mirror, she smiled. It gave her an innocent appeal, but it would be suitable for her purposes. "Now to do something with my hair and face."

She rushed to the nightstand and pulled out her brush, some pins, and her make up kit. She brushed her hair up and pinned it, so it was hanging over her face in loose curls. She lightly covered her cheeks with blush and applied red gloss to her lips. Once she was done, she put everything away and headed for the door.

Stepping out into the hallway, Persephone glanced around. "I guess he'd be on the top floor."

She headed upstairs to the seventh floor of the palace. All the rooms seemed connected to each other, and after turning a corner, she saw two, large doors at the end of the hall. She walked up to the doors and knocked once. Nothing. Twice and a little harder. Still nothing. Third time, and she put all of her strength into it.

"What!" Hades' voice echoed from the other side. "This better be important; otherwise, I'm going to fry you two for breakfast!"

She flinched at his tone.  _Why is he always like this?_ She turned to leave, but stopped herself and looked at the doors with narrowed eyes. "Actually, it's me. I was wondering if I could join you, but since you're clearly in a bad mood, I'll leave." She barely made it to the end of the hall before she heard him call after her.

"Wait! Hold on!" His tone had gone from angry to panicky and desperate.

_I'll see what he has to say._ Folding her arms, Persephone leaned against the wall with her back turned toward the doors. Everything went silent, and then she heard a bunch of rustling before it went silent again.

Hades opened the door. "Persephone, this is unexpe… whoa!"

Persephone felt his gaze rake over her and scoffed, but when she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, she tried her hardest to keep her stern expression. He looked a little bed worn from being abruptly awakened, and he had carelessly tied his chiton around his hips in order to maintain some sense of decency. Luckily for her, he didn't notice the blush that crept across her face, for his attention was glued to her butt.

Hades licked his lips and gave her a throaty chuckle. "Angel-face, babe, what a surprise. You should show this side of yourself more often."

"Ha. Ha." Persephone folded her arms. "Are you done with your tantrum?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry about that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Pain and Panic have been bugging me all day."

"That's not an excuse to go around screaming at everyone." She turned around. "You explode over every little thing. It's terrifying."

Hades went silent for a few moments before uttering, "I scare you?"

"You should learn to control your temper." She sighed. "Despite all the crazy stuff that's happened, I've done some thinking, and I really want to give this relationship a chance. However, maybe we shouldn't, for how long will it be until you're treating me like the imps?" She walked away, but he appeared in front of her.

"Whoa, whoa, time out." Hades put a hand to her face. "Look, I'm really sorry I yelled at you. It was a mistake. I would never treat you that way."

"Just like you'd  _never_ try to manipulate me by dating your ex to make me jealous, or use me as weapon for your own gain?" She held her cold stare.

"Persephone, I…." He looked unsure of what to say, or perhaps, he was too tired to be as sharp-tongued as he usually was.

"Hades, I've lost everything. The whole life I knew, all of my dreams, and even my sister." Her eyes watered. "I don't care what you've been through or how it's changed you; I will not tolerate being abused." She pointed at him. "Do I make myself clear?"

"As clear as your baby-doll." He grinned, his gaze lowering to her cleavage.

Groaning, she rolled her eyes and stormed off. "I'm going back to my room."

"Wait, I was joking." Hades followed her. "I get it. You find me intimidating, but I didn't mean to make you feel that way. It comes with the territory of ruling the Underworld I guess."

_He seems sincere._ Persephone turned around. "Well, this isn't going to work out unless we're on the same page. I need to know if you're going to be there for me like… you were before. I can't take being left to suffer alone anymore." She hugged him, her head resting against his abdomen. "Please. You're all I have left, Aidi."

Hades placed his right hand around her waist and caressed her face with his left. "Angel-face, having you here has been a dream come true for me, and I don't want to hurt you." He leaned down. "I love you."

Persephone's heart leaped at the words. Standing on her tippy-toes, she kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Hades returned the kiss, and she felt him lift her onto his hips and rest her against the wall. She twirled her fingers in his hair, which was already flaring wildly. After a few minutes, he pulled away, and they both were breathing heavily.

"You know, I wanted to wait until we returned to Olympus and you were fully healed, but if you're really feeling up to it, why don't we consummate right now?"

He brushed her hair away from her shoulder, his fingers running through her soft locks, and he kissed her neck, starting from the base of collarbone and worked his way up until his lips brushed her ear.

"Will you marry me, Persephone?" He nibbled her earlobe, making her gasp.

"Yes," she breathed.

Hades smiled against her cheek, and in a puff of smoke, she found herself lying against soft, silk sheets. Glancing around, she saw that they were in his room. He was on his knees, looking down at her through half-lidded eyes.

"What is it?" She furrowed her brow.

"Nothing. You're so beautiful." He chuckled. "Although, there's something missing." Waving his hand, the crown and necklace appeared on her.

She touched the crown and laughed. "How do I look?"

"Perfect." Hades leaned down, his face inches from hers. "My Queen."

She smiled. "My King."


	8. Undead Man Walking

Hades shifted in his sleep, his mind returning to consciousness. _Oh Persephone. She's mine. All mine._

He had waited for this moment, and last night had been amazing. Her body, the way she felt, how she looked at him, it was too good to be real. He hesitated to open his eyes, fearful that she would be gone, just another dream. However, when he did, there she was, sleeping against him.

He recalled their conversation from earlier. He knew he had changed since they were young, but he hadn't expected her to be so upset about it. Then again, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. He had become so used to death, so used to misery, so used to everyone hating and fearing him, that he forgot what it was like to be with someone he loved. With someone who loved him.

His stomach growled, ripping at his insides, and he groaned.  _I'm still hungry? I already ate so much yesterday._ He scratched his right shoulder.  _And why has my shoulder been bothering me? It seems like no matter what I do, it won't stop itching._

Persephone shifted against him, her eyes fluttering open.

He smiled at her. "Morning, Angel-face."

"Morning, Aidi." She leaned up and kissed him.

He put a hand to her face. "Was last night everything you dreamed of?"

"Well…." She glanced away. "Almost."

Her words stabbed his ego, and he slouched into a sulking position and pouted.  _She has to be kidding. I was as attentive to her as possible._

"No, don't misunderstand. It wasn't you." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I mean… you'd think it's silly."

He raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

She sighed. "Well, I'd always hoped that I'd be your first." Her gaze drifted, remembering something. "The night I died, I had planned to share myself with you. I don't know. I guess I feel a little cheated."

_Wasn't expecting that. Of course, women don't care about that sort of thing._ He huffed.  _Ha. Since when did Persephone act like most women?_

"Like I said, it's silly." She crawled off of him and held her arms around herself.

"Don't be embarrassed." He shook his head. While they may have met at the same age in the dream world, those moments were thousands of years ago for him while it couldn't be more than a few decades for her. He couldn't blame her for feeling left behind. "If it helps, I didn't really get around much."

"Really?" She folded her arms. "How many exactly?"

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Two."

"Seriously?" She stared at him.

"Being Lord of the Dead doesn't draw in the ladies." He looked away with a glare. "Plus, it doesn't help when you have two brothers who aren't happy unless they're taking every woman in sight." He shrugged. "Minthe was the only real girlfriend I had."

She lowered her head.

"Look–" He sighed. "We met three hundred years ago when I was on a recruitment run. At first, it was a fling, but we got closer. I thought I finally found someone, but one day, Minthe left. Didn't say anything, didn't leave a note, just gone."

"I'm sorry." Her voice was timid. "I didn't know."

"Hey, it's water under the bridge now." He pulled out a cigar and lit it. "Want one?"

"I'm good." She smacked her lips. "Do you have any rum?"

"You got it." He materialized a bottle and glass and gave them to her.

"So, Minthe… that's one." She poured herself a glass before setting the bottle on the nightstand. "Who was the other one?"

"That servant girl I had." He let out a puff of smoke. "Easy on the eyes, but no common sense."

She giggled. "How so?"

"She thought that she, a mere mortal, deserved to cheat death. I was minding my own business when she showed up blubbering about her dying boyfriend, and I come out looking like the bad guy because I asked for her soul as payment. Like any other god wouldn't have done the same? Sacrifices, tributes, some of them would've raped her for her trouble." He scoffed. "Anyway, the traitor ran off with Jerkules, not that she cared for me to begin with."

She set her glass down and cuddled up next to him. "Sounds like you've been having a lot of bad luck."

"Not anymore." He lifted her onto him, so that she was straddling his hips pressed his forehead against hers. "Maybe you weren't my first, but I'm all yours now."

"Oh, Aidi." She kissed his face.

He relaxed and enjoyed her caresses while she moved from his face to his neck, and then abruptly stopped. He felt her hands tense against him, and she gasped.

"Your shoulder…." She backed away from him. "It's rotting."

"What?" He examined his shoulder, and saw what had disturbed her. It was faint from his pale complexion, but he could make out a patch of discoloration around his shoulder blade. A boil had formed, barely rising above the rest of his skin, but when he scratched it, the whole chunk of flesh fell off, leaving an oozing gash behind.

"What's going on?" She scooted so far back that she almost fell off of the bed.

_Did that just happen_ ? He smiled, his brow furrowed. "It's okay. Don't freak out."

Her eyes went wide. "You're infected."

"I…." He clutched his shoulder.

"Don't lie to me." She narrowed her eyes. "One of the symptoms of a T-viral infection is irritation and eventual deterioration of the epidermis. How long have you been like this?"

"A minor setback. That other side of yours picked a fight with me, and I got scratched." He gestured to where the claw marks had been on his chest. "But I healed it. Everything's fine."

"Then why is your skin falling off!" She struggled to hold her composure, but he could already see tears in her eyes.

"Angel-face, calm down, please." He reached out for her, but she smacked his hand away.

"How dare you hide something like that!" She jumped off of the bed and retreated from him until he was trapped against the wall. "You could've turned while we… you could've killed me!" She stumbled, and within seconds, she dropped to the floor.

"Persephone, are you okay?" He moved to help her, but she held her hand up, gesturing for him to stop.

"Stay away!" Her voice trembled.

"Boss! Boss!" Pain and Panic bursted through the doors.

Hades glared at them. "Get out!"

Panic stepped forward. "But, Boss, it's getting worse."

Pain nodded. "Yeah, souls are piling in by the hundreds and there's no…."

The imps turned, noticing Persephone, who was still nude. She snatched a piece of clothing that had been strewn to the floor and covered herself before taking a spare sandal and throwing it at them. Panic cowered down while Pain was beaned in the face.

She looked at Hades. "What are they talking about?"

"Nothing," he said, giving the imps the evil eye. "It's probably some war going on. Happens all the time."

Narrowing her eyes, she returned her attention to imps. "Is that true?"

Pain and Panic shared a glance before nodding.

"Sure is."

"Just a war."

She frowned. "You're lying."

Hades stood. "Angel-face, it's no big…."

"If you tell me to calm down one more time…!" She gritted her teeth and groaned in frustration. "Just stay away from me!" She ran out of the room, slamming the door with such force that several items on the wall fell and shattered on the floor.

"Wait, I…!" Hades moved to follow her, but he tripped and passed out on impact.

….

Persephone sprinted downstairs toward her chambers. She stumbled a few times, her head woozy. Her body felt like it was on fire, and by the time she reached her room, she had so little energy that she collapsed on the floor. She rested on her hands and knees, her body shaking. She gasped for air, and her veins burned, shocking her system to its core.

"Am I turning?" She choked, her lungs tightening; the pain was so unbearable that she was sure she'd pass out.

However, after a few moments, the pain faded. She tried to steady her breathing and remained still. She heard footsteps approach her, but kept her gaze fixated on the floor.

"My Lady, are you alright?" Lust said.

"Hades is dying," she uttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I killed him, just like I killed everyone else." She glanced at them. "Do you know what's going on with the souls?"

"We told Panic and Pain that it would be a bad idea to disturb you and Lord Hades, but since the cat's out of the bag…." Lust sighed. "They said that the amount of souls was abnormal even for a war, and we've seen civilians, royalty, children, and other creatures."

"The souls keep screaming about everyone turning into monsters." Vanity folded his arms. "It was really strange."

"I knew it." She cried. "That fucking liar!"

Her heart skipped a beat, and then another, and another after that until her pulse was weak and faint. She clutched her chest and fell forward, her forehead colliding with the hard floor.

"Lady Persephone!" Lust rushed to her side.

However, her mind had already tuned him and Vanity out. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. The pain ceased again, and she took a few moments before relaxing herself against the floor. Her body felt normal, like the convulsions never happened.

_I'm… I'm not dead. I feel… stronger._ Persephone lifted her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were glowing red, and beneath the haze, her pupils had thinned into slits.  _Like Wesker'_ s. She shook her head. "No, no, no. No!"

….

_Ugh, right when everything was going smoothly, this happens. Can I ever catch a break for once?_ Hades opened his eyes. "Huh?"

He was lying in the middle of a dark hallway. A foul smell filled the air, and lightning flashed outside, the heavy rain pitter-pattering against the windows. The area was furnished with old antiques, though not as old as his time. In the few glimpses of light, he saw blood stains everywhere. However, this place didn't look like the facility, and he saw no signs of the city outside.

_Can someone wake me up? I'll wear heels and click them if I have to._ He groaned.  _Why am I having these dreams? Persephone said she had a similar one. Is this connected to her?_

Standing up, he checked his shoulder. The look on Persephone's face stung him, and for the first time, in a long while, he felt guilty. All he wanted was to be with her, but it felt like he only succeeded in hurting her. Sighing, he materialized a bandage and wrapped it around his shoulder before snapping his clothes back on.

"Let's see what fun I'm going to encounter this time." He headed down the hallway. Turning a corner, he saw a giant, cocoon suctioned onto the left wall. Stepping closer, he noticed there was someone trapped inside. "Claire?" She didn't respond, and it was hard to tell if she was alive.

Flicking his thumb, he lit the cocoon aflame with a dull fire that wouldn't injure her. Claire slid out of the slimy layers while they melted away and fell onto the floor, motionless. Kneeling down, he took her into his arms and examined her.

"Still here." Hades gently shook her. "Little Red, wakey, wakey."

Claire knitted her brow before opening her eyes, her pupils unfocused. She blinked a few times, her gaze zeroing in on him. "Hades?"

"The one and only, babe." He chuckled. "Can't leave you alone without you getting yourself in trouble, can I?"

"You're here? I thought…." She fell out of his arms. "You disappeared. How did you find me?"

"Wasn't trying to." He stood. "Turns out you were right. All of this is some warped dream world, and I was able to wake up and go back home."

"What?" Claire stood and dusted herself off. "But if you were able to get out, how come I can't? And why are you back?"

"Good question. I'm starting to wonder about that myself." He glanced around. "So where are we?"

"We're on Rockfort Island within Ashford Manor. After you vanished, I came here with my brother because he got a lead that Wesker was using this place for a headquarters, but Chris and I got separated."

_Hmm. So this Wesker guy is around somewhere?_ All Hades wanted was to return to Persephone, who was probably stressed out of her mind right now, but if the Fates wanted him here, he might as well take advantage. "Well, Little Red, since I'm stuck here again, I'll accompany you."

"Okay." Claire retrieved her handgun. "Are you sure you're alright? That tyrant got you pretty badly."

"Like I said, all of this is only a dream," he said, "When I woke up, I was totally fine."

Hades and Claire continued exploring the mansion. He had to admit, the people that lived here were strange. Each new hall they entered was filled with creepy, life-sized dolls and other antique toys.

"I'm kind of glad you're here." Claire smiled. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving me before."

"Oh right, that." He shrugged. "It was no big deal."

"But why?" She bit her lip. "It's… well, you don't seem like the type."

He raised an eyebrow. "And what type do I seem like?"

She diverted her gaze. "Just not what I expected. That's all."

They reached the entrance hall. There was a stairway on either side that led up to a balcony on the second floor. When Claire stepped out into the open, a small, red light appeared on the side of her head, and Hades moved her out of the way before she was shot. Following the direction of the bullet, he spotted a young man on the balcony holding a rifle.

Claire glared at the man. "Alfred? I figured I'd run into you."

Alfred cursed and reloaded his rifle. "Hello, there Claire. Thought you got rid of me? Ha! Your little mission failed, and this time I'm going to dispose of you!" He let out a flamboyant laugh and fired his rifle again.

Hades stood in front of her, the bullet bouncing off of him.

Alfred's eyes widened. "Who are you? Some kind of demon?"

"What's all the commotion, brother dear?" A young woman, who looked identical to Alfred walked over to the balcony.

"Alexia too?" Claire groaned. "Great."

"Have a history?" Hades looked at her.

"I got into a scuffle with these two the last time I was here." Claire aimed her handgun at Alfred. "Looks like this dream world brought them back from the dead like everyone else."

Alexia looked down at Hades with an amused expression. "Ah, so you must be the one Albert mentioned."

"As in Albert Wesker?" Hades raised an eyebrow.

She giggled. "Perhaps, but you won't be seeing him any time soon."

"Yes, Claire." Alfred laughed. "We have unfinished business with you."

Claire scoffed at them. "Don't be so cocky. I defeated you weirdos before, and I can do it again."

"Actually, I have a better idea." Hades snapped his fingers.

Alexia and Alfred vanished from the balcony in a cloud of smoke and reappeared at Hades' feet, bound by smoky tendrils. They wriggled against the floor, and Alexia managed to get on her knees and glare at him.

"Unhand us!" She scowled. "This is completely uncalled for!"

Hades smirked and cupped a hand under Alexia's chin. "Sorry, babe, but I'm in no mood for games. So you're going to tell me what I want to know; otherwise you're going to learn  _my_ idea of fun." He created a fireball in his hand and brought it close to her face.

"No!" Alfred struggled to break free, his eyes wide with desperation. "Not Alexia! Please, I'll tell you what you want!"

"Then start talking." Hades pulled Alexia's head back by her hair, leaving her neck exposed. "Where is Wesker?"

"In the dining hall." Alfred whimpered. "Up the stairs, through the corridor, make a right, and it's the third door down."

"Good. Now wasn't that easier?" He dropped Alexia to the floor. "Come on, Little Red."

Hades and Claire headed in the direction Alfred instructed and found themselves standing in front of a pair of double doors. Stepping inside, Hades took note of his surroundings. In the center of the room was a long, table aligned with chairs. Sitting at the end, on the opposite side, was blond man wearing sunglasses.

Hades recalled the photo T-201 had shown him. "You must be Albert Wesker?"

Wesker looked up. "And you're Hades, Lord of the Underworld." He tilted his head to the side, glancing behind him. "And the lovely Claire Redfield. How interesting."

"I see our reputations precede us." Hades chuckled.

"Indeed." Wesker nodded, but his glasses made it difficult for Hades to read his expression.

Claire stepped forward, her handgun aimed at him. "What are you doing here, Wesker? What's going on?"

He looked unfazed by her threat and replied in a smooth tone, "Put your weapon away, Redfield. Unlike the Ashford twins, I'm not interested in a fight."

_Hmm. He's definitely a stiff._ Hades lowered Claire's hands. "Take five, babe. I'll handle this."

Claire shifted her gaze between him and Wesker. "But…."

"Trust me." Hades winked at her, and she hesitated before frowning and stepping down.

"Please, have a seat." Wesker gestured to the chair facing opposite from him.

Hades sat down while Claire stood behind him with her arms folded. It was obvious that she was one hundred percent against Wesker, and despite being a woman, her hero-type personality was beginning to stand out, much to his annoyance.

Wesker folded his hands together. "I called you here because you and I desire the same thing. Power."

_He wants to make a deal with me? Let's see how this goes._ Hades nodded. "I'm listening."

Wesker seemed pleased with his answer. "I believe you have something that belongs to me."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Care to be more specific?"

"T-201, Persephone." Wesker frowned, but it was very faint. "Rumor has it that she's found herself in your custody."

"Ah, yes, about that…." Hades gave him a sly smile. "I already destroyed that monster of yours, and as for Persephone herself–" His tone became grave, sending a chill into the room. "She's  _mine_ ." He saw Wesker flinch for a split second at the news and smirked.  _Don't worry, Angel-face, you won't end up with him again._

"Is that so?" Wesker's jaw tightened. "How disappointing. I've put a lot of investment into her. You've witnessed my handiwork; she's truly magnificent, wouldn't you agree? After all, why else would you have used my research to pursue your own endeavors?"

Hades narrowed his eyes. "That's a strong accusation."

"And a truthful one." Wesker's words had an arrogant tone to them. "Do you know why you keep coming back to this world? Why you've been crossing paths with those of us from the future like myself and Miss Redfield?" The corners of his mouth slightly curved upward. "The answer is you, Hades. You used Persephone to take control of Mt. Olympus, and right now, as we speak, everyone from your time is dying. Meanwhile every generation of time that follows has been frozen in a never ending winter."

Claire gasped. "What?"

Wesker gave her a dry laugh. "Yes, Claire. You, I, your brother, and everyone else are buried underneath miles of snow and ice, slowly but surely awaiting death. Our minds have become trapped in this limbo, cursed to relive our pasts until the end."

Hades examined Wesker for any body language that would give away his lies, but found nothing. "You sound pretty calm for a mortal who's about to die."

"I've already looked death in the eye and won, and I left my mortality behind years ago." Lightning flashed through the windows, illuminating his presence in the room, and his eyes glowed red underneath his glasses.

"That can't be true." Claire shook her head before looking at Hades. "He's lying, isn't he? You didn't really kill everyone?"

_Well, this does explain why the imps were nagging me about the soul counter._ Hades sighed. Her upset tone made him think of Persephone, and what she would think once she found out.  _Our relationship is going to be over after this._ However, he wasn't upset about Claire. Sure, he wanted to keep her on his side. She would make a valuable minion with her skill, but it was time for her to understand who he truly was. "Sorry, Claire, but you've mistaken me for the wrong type."

"No." Tears formed in her eyes. "You couldn't… we're… I'm dying because of you!"

Wesker chuckled. "What's wrong, Claire? Finally realizing you've been helping the villain all this time?" He sped from his chair and appeared right behind Hades with his hand around Claire's neck. "How pathetic. I'm going to enjoy torturing you and Chris until your last breaths." 

He threw her into the wall with incredible force, and she slid to the floor, unconscious.

_Okay, he's got some power. Not enough for me to be concerned._ Hades looked at Claire. She wasn't dead, but he'd help her later. "So you've got a few little tricks up your sleeve. Forgive me if I'm not impressed."

"Well, I suppose it would be blasphemous of me to consider myself on the same level as a god." Wesker turned to face him. "For now. My research with Persephone has only taken me so far." He sat on the edge of the table. "Then you appeared. The data I uncovered from your battle against T-201 in the city was most intriguing."

Hades folded his arms. "What do you want?"

"I desire your collaboration. My goal is to fix my broken world and become the god of a new superior race. You seek absolute rule. Together we could both have what we want."

"A little too late, babe." Hades chuckled. "I already have what I want."

"Perhaps, but I've heard you've fallen under an unfortunate predicament." Without warning, Wesker struck his hand into Hades' chest.

Hades flinched and slid back, the chair screeching against the floor. He swiped at Wesker with his free hand, his flames cutting through the air like blades. Wesker jumped and flipped over the attack before landing a few feet away from him. Hades put a hand to his chest and felt blood seep from the wound.

Wesker laughed. "You may not find my abilities impressive, Hades, but you can't deny that my research is." He smirked and lifted his gloved hand, which was dripping with Hades' blood. "To kill a god. Who'd have thought it?"

Hades' skin turned bright red. "How do you know all of this?"

"Now you don't find me unwise enough to divulge such precious information?" Wesker approached him. "If you agree to work with me, I will provide an antidote."

Hades stood. "The catch?"

"Give me Persephone," Wesker said, his tone firm.

"You drive a hard bargain, but no deal." He glared at him.

Wesker scowled. "Then you'll replace her."

He sped forward to grab him, but Hades blocked him with a wall of fire. Wesker jumped back, his clothes a little singed.

Hades raised his hands. "Let's see how much all that experimenting helped you."

He lit the whole room ablaze and repeatedly shot fireballs at Wesker, who dodged all but the last one. He was struck in mid-air and landed in the large fireplace at the back of the room. Hades retrieved Claire and glanced back at Wesker. He was engulfed in flames and screaming in agony.

"Albert, what's all the….!"

Hades turned and saw a young woman enter the room. The only traits that caught his attention was the eye patch she was wearing and….  _Is that an all-seeing eye?_ Around the woman's neck was a crystalized eyeball that looked in every direction with sharp, rapid movements.  _That's why Wesker knows so much. He found himself a seer._

The woman glared at him with her free eye. "Looks like you have overstayed your welcome." She reached into the side pocket of her black overcoat, and before he could question her, she threw what felt like sand at him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding…?"

His body froze in place, almost like she had stopped time. The next thing he knew, his vision blotched out, and everything went dark.


	9. A Wise Choice

"What am I going to do?" Persephone knelt over the bed and cried. Hades was dying, the world was in chaos, and she was infected again. _But I'm not dead. I should be, but it's like my body fought it off. Maybe I'm carrying anti-bodies?_

It would make sense. Her blood allowed her to survive before, so it should be no surprise that she developed an immunity.

"Now crying isn't going to solve anything, child." A woman appeared on the bed.

Glancing the woman over, Persephone could tell she was a goddess, or possibly a titaness, given how ancient her presence felt. The woman's hair was long and dark like her own, and was pinned up with crystals. She wore a white gown that accentuated her thin, elegant frame and billowed out into cloudy mist at her feet. Her skin was paler than the moon, but her eyes….

 _She has his eyes. This couldn't be…._ She furrowed her brow. "Are you Hades' mother?"

"Yes." The woman gave her a warm smile. "I am Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. And you are Persephone, Goddess of Spring, and my eldest son's new bride."

She nodded. "Uh, it's nice to meet you, and not to be rude, but why are you here?"

Rhea sighed. "The world and time itself has been thrown out of balance because of my son's actions, and if something isn't done soon, the world as we know it will end. Which is why I've come to you. You are the one who must fix this."

Persephone shook her head. "But I'm mortal now."

"I will aid you, child, but first you must make a choice." Rhea stood before Persephone and held out her hands. In her left palm appeared the image of Hades. "As you are aware, my son is dying, but there's still time to save him. I can place him under a wake-less slumber, freezing the process of his illness until you are able to cure him."

Persephone's heart leapt at the offer. "The catch?"

"You have to let the world die."

She furrowed her brow. "And what's my other choice?"

An orb appeared in Rhea's right palm, and within, showed the dying mortals above. "You can choose to save the world and restore everything to its proper place. I will provide you with whatever you need to achieve your task."

"But Hades has to die, doesn't he?" She looked away.

"I'm afraid so." Rhea nodded. "Choose wisely."

 _What do I do?_ Persephone folded her arms and paced the room. _Even though I'm angry with him, I don't want him to die, but if the virus spreads all over the world, what will that mean for us? For the future?_

Rhea lowered her hands. "Have you decided, child?"

"Yes," Persephone said, "I choose… the world."

Rhea looked a little surprised by her answer but slowly nodded. "Very well, but you're going to need a change of clothes. Can't save the world looking like that."

With a wave of Rhea's hand, a light enveloped Persephone, and when it dispersed, she was now adorned in black armor. Persephone walked over to the mirror and examined herself. Her helmet offered some facial protection, and there was a small hole for her hair to fit through. Two leather bands covered the length of her forearms, and on the outer side were hidden blades. She flicked one out and ran her fingers along the edge, observing its sharpness.

She took off her helmet and chopped her ponytail off with the blade. The remainder of her hair fell, barely reaching her ears. She retrieved a black cloth from her nightstand and wrapped it over her eyes before putting her helmet back on. She could still see thanks to her heightened senses, but she didn't want to risk scaring anyone she found above ground.

Rhea waved her hands again, and a variety of weapons appeared. "Choose what you need."

Persephone glanced over the weapons. Most were old fashioned and way too close range or heavy for her to wield. "Uh, do you have any more… modern weapons?"

"Modern?"

"Yeah, you know guns, grenades, something semi-automatic?" She tried to charade what she was looking for.

"I think I can manage that." Rhea waved her hands again, and a variety of futuristic weapons appeared.

Persephone grabbed everything she thought she could carry and stored it in the holsters and straps attached to her armor.

"And here, something a little extra special." Rhea smiled and handed Persephone a small pouch. "It's bottomless, so you'll be to fit as many items as you want, regardless of size."

"Thank you." Persephone placed her grenades and extra ammo into the pouch before retrieving her suitcase and putting it inside as well.

"Now that you have everything you need, We have one last thing to take care of." Rhea created a large axe in her hands and gave it to her.

Persephone raised an eyebrow. "What's this for?"

"A deal's a deal. You will save the world at the price of Hades' life."

Persephone gasped. "But I thought you meant I couldn't save him? You never said anything about killing him."

"You know it will be much harder later." Rhea closed her eyes and sighed. "It would be best to put him out of his misery."

Persephone stared at the axe, images of her lost loved ones flashing in her mind. She wasn't sure if she could bear another experience. "I can't do this."

"You don't have a choice." Rhea's kind tone became stern, and her aura fluctuated. "Either you do this of your own will, or I shall force you."

Persephone remained silent and racked her brain for a loophole. It was clear that she wouldn't be able to wheedle Rhea down, and the titaness could over power her with ease.

She lowered her head. "Lead the way."

Rhea nodded and headed into the hallway.

Persephone followed her. _There has to be a way to save Hades and the world. If I really am carrying anti-bodies, I can make a cure before it's too late._ She cleared her throat, getting Rhea's attention. "No offense, but you're very calm about this."

"I've grown used to my children making a mess of things." Rhea sighed again. "Normally, I would keep my distance, but there's too much at stake."

"Well, it's still nice to finally meet you, despite the circumstances." Persephone smiled. "Hades used to mention you a lot when we were kids."

"Did he now?" There was a distant look in her eyes, but she blinked it away. "Listen, I'm sure this is hard on you, but it is what must be done. I'm sorry."

"So am I." Persephone swung the axe as hard as she could, pinning Rhea to the wall by her neck.

She screamed, blood spewing from her mouth. The blow hadn't been hard enough to decapitate her, but it didn't look like she'd be able to escape either.

"What do you think you're doing!" Rhea tried to sound intimidating, but her voice was weak, and she could only choke out her words.

"Killing you." Persephone grinned. "Is that not obvious?"

"How dare you!" Rhea struggled against the axe, but only made the blade sink further into her neck. "We had a deal!"

"I don't care." Persephone glared at her. "Wesker, Zeus, my mother, Hades, and even you think you can do whatever you want with me, and I should be okay with it. No. I'm done being used."

"So you'll leave my _son_ to turn into one of those things?" Rhea's tone sounded horrified at the prospect.

"What I do with my _husband_ is my business." Persephone scoffed. "And if you're so worried, then you should've had the guts to put him out of his misery yourself."

Rhea gagged, her mouth filling with blood. "You can't do this."

Persephone laughed. "Actually, I can." She kicked the blade of the axe further into Rhea's neck, beheading her. "I'm the _queen_."

Rhea let out a loud 'gack' before her head fell and rolled across the floor. Blood spurted from her neck, her body sliding down from the wall. Persephone picked up the axe. Her body rushed with adrenaline, and yet, she felt nauseous. It didn't help that the metallic scent of Rhea's blood was starting to fill the hall.

"Is this what it's come to?" She didn't want this, but what choice did she have when everything was going to hell? "It's time to settle this, Aidi."

Persephone returned to his bed chambers and set the axe down right outside of the door. Stepping inside, she paused in the doorway at the sight before her. Hades had been chained to the wall, his mouth gagged with a thick cloth.

 _Did Rhea do this?_ Persephone walked over to him and ripped the gag off. "What happened?"

He coughed and wriggled against the chains. "I don't know. I passed out after you ran off and woke up like this." He glanced her up and down. "What's with the warrior get up?"

She folded her arms. "I'm going to save the mortals."

"You can't go up there. It's dangerous." He frowned. "Besides, what's the big deal? Mortals die all the time."

"Predictable answer from someone who doesn't care about anyone but himself." She narrowed her eyes. "You knew you were infected, that you could've turned at any moment!"

"I'm sorry, but you were hysterical after I told you about Olympus, and I didn't want to make it worse." He sighed. "And last night, I wasn't thinking, okay. I couldn't help it. I'm a guy."

"That's your excuse?" She shrugged. "Okay, have it your way." She stepped outside and retrieved the axe.

His eyes widened. "Uh, Persephone, babe, what are you doing with that?"

She smiled. "Well, you're dying anyway. Why not put you out of your misery here and now?"

He gave an uneasy chuckle. "Let's just calm down and take a moment to talk this out. No reason to do anything hasty. Right, Angel-face?"

"Why not? It's as you said, Hades. You're a guy; you cannot help what you do." She raised the axe. "But you forget, I'm a woman, and you've scorned me once too many times."

"You wouldn't dare!" His skin tinged.

"Sure I would. I already killed your mother downstairs." She observed his shocked expression and laughed. "Oh, don't get all sentimental on me now. This was her idea, and she probably tied you up. So when you think about it, I'm only fulfilling your mother's dying wish."

He glared at her. "I swear if you come near me…."

"Stop me if you can," she said with a crooked grin.

She approached him with slow, calculated steps before setting the axe down. Ignoring the risk, she placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him, but he was unresponsive.

"I love you." She pulled away. "I've always loved you, and all I wanted was a chance to be with you. I realize now that I've been pining for the boy you were, and from what I can see, he died a long time ago." Taking the axe, she pushed the blade into his chest where his heart should be. "So this is goodbye."

He screamed, his head jerking back.

"Aww, does that hurt?" She twisted the blade a little deeper. "Good. Sear the pain into your memory because this–" Tears streamed down her face. "This is what you did to me."

He choked, his skin turning hot enough to melt the blade. Noticing this, she pulled the axe out and tossed it to the side. Blood poured from his chest, and his whole body started to shake.

"You could be a little more grateful." He tried to control his breathing, but his words were coming out in gasps. "I saved you. I gave you a place beside me in the cosmos. Is that not good enough for you!"

"Please. I don't give a damn about Olympus, or your stupid gifts! And as far as saving me–" She lowered her blindfold, allowing him to see her eyes. "You failed."

When he didn't respond, she secured her blind-fold and pulled out two syringes from her suitcase. One was empty, and the other was filled with a green liquid. Kneeling in front of him, she stabbed the empty syringe in his chest and drew blood. He cringed and cried out, but she ignored him. Once the syringe was full, she stuck him with the green one.

"What are you doing?" He sucked in a breath and whimpered.

"Oh, making sure you'll regret crossing me until your last moments." She put all of her things away and headed for the door. "Have fun."

While Persephone made her way downstairs, she checked the timer on her wrist and set it. Entering the throne room, she glanced at the soul counter; it was spiraling so fast that she couldn't read the numbers. She walked over to the map and glanced it over.

"Okay, let's form a plan. I need to get a proper T-blood sample. Mt. Olympus would be my best bet, and if I use this exit, it's not too far away. Hmm, and just in case, I'll search the closest city-state. Seems to be Thebes. Alright, I think I have something going here." She sat down on the throne. "Lust! Vanity! Pain! Panic!"

The imps appeared before her, and Lust and Vanity bowed.

"Is everything alright, Lady Persephone?" Lust met her gaze.

"What the…?" Pain narrowed his eyes. "How did you summon Panic and me?"

"Because I'm in charge now." She crossed her legs and tilted her head up. "And is that anyway to address your new queen?"

Panic folded his arms. "What have you done with Hades?"

"Nothing," she said, keeping her tone calm. She wasn't in the mood to explain herself to them, and time was of the essence. "Now, listen up. I have a task for all of you."

"Forget it." Panic glared at her. "This whole thing is your fault!"

Pain nodded. "Yeah. Everything was fine until you showed up!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Very well, you're free to do as you wish. However, your decision will be considered an act of treason." She snapped her fingers. "Lust, Vanity, detain them, please."

"Yes, my Lady." Lust transformed into a human version of himself and snatched Pain and Panic by their tails.

"Oh yeah. Payback time." Vanity took out the same net that was used on him and Lust, and ensnared them inside.

Pain and Panic struggled to break free while yelling obscenities, and Persephone laughed at their antics.

"Thank you." She smiled. "Now I need you two to watch over Hades while I go above ground. I'm hoping to create a cure, so I can save him and fix this mess."

"Save him?" Panic squeezed his head through one of the holes in the net. "But you…!"

"Silence!" Her voice cut through the room, shutting him up. She handed Vanity three green syringes. "This is a healing serum that slows down the process of the virus. It lasts for two hours, and I already gave Hades one a few minutes ago."

"Every two hours. Got it." Vanity nodded.

"Oh, and don't tell Hades anything. I don't want the asshole to know I'm still helping him." She stood. "Let him stew in his misery, so when he thinks of me, he'll be reminded that he fucked up. That all he's won is my hatred."

Lust grinned. "We shall do our best."

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She left the throne room and headed down to the dock, her heart pounding with mixed emotions.

….

"This is it. Don't get scared now." Persephone took a deep breath and stepped around the corner to where Cerberus resided.

The three headed canine was busy devouring the souls that tried to escape, but the right head caught whiff of her presence and growled. The other two followed suit, and she found herself trapped against the wall.

"Easy, boy." She held up her hands in surrender. "Easy."

It was taking all of her will power not to lock up like she did any other time she saw the mutt, and she pushed back the memories that were threatening to plague her. Cerberus, much to her relief, didn't attack her, but kept on guard as if waiting to see what she'd do.

"Good boy." Persephone took out several steaks and tossed them at his feet.

Cerberus sniffed the meat before giving a happy yelp and gobbling all of it down. Returning his attention to her, he stopped growling and sat down, but his ears were still alert.

"You liked that?" She smiled. "I need you to take me to Mt. Olympus. Can you do that?"

The heads shared a glance while making a few indistinguishable noises.

"Please. Hades will die if I don't do something." She took a step forward. "I know you sense something is wrong with me, but I mean no harm. I swear." She crossed her fingers over her heart. "As your queen."

Cerberus whimpered, his ears flattening back, and the middle head lowered and licked her.

"I'll take that as a yes." She petted him.

He wagged his tail, and allowed her to mount him. She found a secure spot at the base of his middle neck and made sure her legs had a firm grip while holding onto his fur.

"Alright, Cerberus." She pointed ahead. "Yip! Yip!"

He gave her a funny look.

"Yee haw? Kya? Go?"

Cerberus responded to the last command and galloped toward the Underworld gates.

….

Persephone checked the timer on her wrist. "Forty-five minutes."

She almost lost her balance, the wind whipping her back, and she got a tighter grip onto Cerberus. The upper world had been cast into darkness; thunder and lightning crashed throughout the sky, unleashing an unbearable downpour. Cerberus stopped in the middle of the huge valley and howled.

"What's wrong?" She furrowed her brow. "We can't be there yet."

The left head nodded and howled again.

Scanning the area, she saw nothing but a thick, red haze. She gestured for Cerberus to get a little closer, and when he did, her eyes widened. The once majestic Mt. Olympus had been reduced to a pile of rubble.

"What happened?" She glanced over the large piles of debris, but she couldn't spot any bodies. _Now what am I going to do?_

A gut-wrenching roar echoed through the air, and Cerberus went on his guard.

She shivered. "Come on, boy. Let's head into Thebes."

As he turned to leave, Persephone saw something flicker through the haze. Cerberus gave off a few warning growls, but as they galloped through the terrain, she heard extra footsteps booming behind them. She looked back, but still didn't see anything.

Cerberus tumbled to the ground, sending her flying some feet away from him, but her armor absorbed most of the impact. Groaning, she stood up and pulled out her handgun. Hearing Cerberus whine, she rushed over to him; there was a large gash on his left hind leg.

"Are you okay?" She petted his right head. _I can't do anything for a wound this big._ She looked around. "What could've done this?"

Another roar rattled around them, and it sounded closer. Despite his injury, Cerberus stood up and growled at the oncoming threat. Everything fell silent for a few moments, and then a blur jumped out of the darkness at lightning speed. Cerberus tackled it, and Persephone ran out of the way, not wanting to get crushed by accident. When she felt she put enough distance between herself and the fight, she turned around with her handgun ready, but something struck her in the side. Within seconds, her whole world went upside down, and she was free falling off the edge of a cliff.


	10. In The Swarm

Hades stared into space while he remained chained to the wall. He had tried everything to escape, but it was futile. It didn't help that he couldn't summon Pain and Panic.

_Where are they? They better not be ignoring me again, or else._ He glanced at his chest.  _What did Persephone inject me with? Whatever it was, it healed my chest, but now everything feels numb._

He scowled, his flame fluttering across his shoulders. He wanted to be angry at Persephone, to hate her for leaving him like this, but he knew, deep down, that he was pissed at himself.

_I'm the biggest yutz in the cosmos._ He lowered his head.  _This isn't fair. I won. I have everything I want, and now I'm…._

He shook his head, not wanting to finish the thought. He was the Lord of the Dead, a god; he wasn't going to die. He couldn't. Everything would be fine.

_I'll heal up in no time, and then I'll find a way to win her back._ Hearing the door open, he looked up. "Persephone?"

Lust and Vanity entered the room.

"She's gone, Lord Hades," Lust said.

Hades ignored the devious looks on their faces.  _She really went above ground by herself?_

Vanity chuckled. "He looks very disturbed by the news, doesn't he?"

"Very." Lust nodded. "Who knows what perils Lady Persephone will face, and it's all his fault."

Hades frowned. "I don't know what you two are playing at, but you better leave before I…."

"Yeah, you're real menacing tied to that wall." Vanity rolled his eyes.

"Pain! Panic!" Hades wriggled in the chains.

"They're preoccupied at the moment, so you're stuck with us." Vanity shrugged. "Not that we have any obligation to stay. You're dying, so our contract is officially null and void."

Lust grinned. "But this is the most fun we've had in a while. Hate to see it end so soon. It's not often we get to torture a god."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Torture?"

In a puff of smoke, Lust and Vanity transformed into human versions of themselves, but they kept their horns, wings, and tails. Vanity wore a white chiton that went down to his feet and was splattered with blood and other bodily fluids. Lust wore a more revealing top and shorter skirt, but his face was covered with bandages and gauze.

Vanity let out a shrill cackle. "Shall you inform him on the situation, Nurse Silent?"

"Of course, Dr. Hill." Lust giggled. "It appears the Queen has been diagnosed with a broken heart."

"Oh my. This is very serious indeed." Vanity snapped a surgical mask over his face. "I believe the only way to save her is a full on heart transplant, and how lucky we are to have such a willing donor."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Hades eyed both of them with caution. "You're not taking out my heart."

"Why? It's not like you've had any use for it." Vanity held out his hand. "Would you be so kind as to prep our patient for the operation, Nurse?"

"It would be my pleasure, Doctor." Lust pulled an arrangement of different colored syringes from behind his back. "Now, be a good boy, and take your medicine."

_What in Tartarus is going on here?_ Hades shifted in his chains, hoping that they'd finally break, but it was a pointless wish. "Why are you two even here? Shouldn't you be helping Persephone?"

"She ordered us to stay behind and keep you company." Lust walked over to him.

"Yes, how did she put it…?" Vanity thought for a minute before mimicking Persephone's voice, "Let him stew in his misery, so when he thinks of me, he'll be reminded that he fucked up. That all he's won is my hatred."

_She said that?_ Hades looked at the floor.

"I didn't think she was capable of such malice." Lust stabbed him in the shoulder with a red syringe. "Too bad for you."

Hades cringed, feeling the liquid enter his veins. Unlike the green one, this injection burned right through him, and his head throbbed, like someone was digging around in his mind. Within minutes, his inhibitions melted away, and the room changed before his eyes. He was sitting in a field of dead flowers, and Vanity and Lust were nowhere to be seen. He still couldn't move, even though the chains had vanished.

"Hello?" Hades muttered.

Childish laughter echoed around him, and he searched the field. He couldn't see anything but a shadowy figure in the distance. It remained rooted in its spot as though stalking him.

_"You're mean."_

"Huh?" He looked around again. "Lust! Vanity! I command you to stop this right now!"

_"Why are you so mean, Aidi?"_

He paused, hearing the nickname. Before him, appeared a five-year-old Persephone. He couldn't see her face, for her head was lowered toward the ground. Her clothes were tattered, and there was no spirit in her voice.

_"Why are you so mean to me?"_ Her head tilted to the side until it looked like her neck was broken.  _"What did I do wrong? I thought you were my friend."_

_It's okay, Hades. Everything is fine. You're not losing it. Those stupid imps are just playing a trick on you._ He took a deep breath.  _Now, I'm going to close my eyes. When I open them, I'm going to be back in my room, and the creepy, little girl will be gone._

Hades did as he instructed himself, but when he opened them, Persephone was right in front him, her face mere inches from his. Her eyes had been completely carved out, leaving two hollow sockets that stared at him in a way that pierced his soul.

_"If you don't want to be my friend any more–"_ The eye sockets began to bleed, like she was crying.  _"You can die."_

….

_"Movir es Vivir."_

Persephone awakened to the sound of chanting.

_"Movir es Vivir."_

_"Movir es Vivir."_

_To live is to die?_ Furrowing her brow, she opened her eyes and saw four monks standing over her.

Three wore black robes, leaving only their faces visible. They appeared dead, but she could spot life in their crazed, blood-shot eyes. The fourth monk wore a more elaborate, red robe and covered his face with a dear skull.

"Mueme." The red monk raised a giant scythe over his head.

"No!" She jumped back and retreated until she was caught against a stone wall.

Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape route. She was no longer outside with Cerberus, but based on the architecture of the room, was trapped inside some medieval castle. Gunfire sounded off in another room, drawing the monks' attention away from her.

"Mátalo!" The red monk pointed in the direction of the room, and the three black monks ran off to investigate.

Persephone was almost off of the stone platform she had been placed on when the scythe swung down a few centimeters from her face. Before the monk could lift his weapon, she took out her handgun and shot him in the chest. He staggered back a little, but he didn't drop like a normal person would've.

However, she didn't have to time to ponder why, for the monk had recovered his scythe and took another swing at her. She blocked it with her right arm blade. On collision, part of her blade chipped, but she was able to hold out against the monk's strength. Getting enough leverage, she kicked him in the stomach, sending him to the floor.

The monk screamed and charged at her, his scythe raised. She dodge-rolled off the platform and spun around, slicing his right leg with her blade. He dropped to the floor again, his scythe falling from his grip. She grabbed it and sliced his head off.

The monk's body remained standing, his neck gushing blood. With a sickening crack, a giant insect burst from the large gash and swiped wildly at the air while the headless body approached her.

She gasped. "What the…?"

She tried to block the insect's attack with her blades, but it managed to swipe her shoulder, knocking her on the floor. A bright flash enveloped the room, followed by a loud screech. When the light dispersed, she looked down and saw the insect disintegrate.

"Persephone?"

She looked up. "Leon?"

He looked different from when she last saw him. Instead of a police uniform, he was wearing combat gear, and he looked tired, like he had been fighting all day.

_Could his shirt be any tighter?_ She shook the aroused thought from her mind.  _But if he's here, then I must be dreaming again._

"What happened to you?" He walked over to her. "In the Arklay Forest, you just disappeared."

"Right…." She sighed. "You may want to sit down for this."

Leon glanced around, making sure they were still alone. "I've got time."

She led him over to the platform, and they both sat down.

"Remember when you said it was strange that Raccoon City reappeared?" Receiving a nod, she continued, "Well, that's because this place is a dream world. When I disappeared, I woke up back in my home."

His eyes widened a little. "You're kidding?"

"No." She bit her lip. "And it gets worse. You see my husband…."

"Husband?" he said, his tone mixed surprise and disappointment.

"Yes. Anyway, we had a war against the Olympians, things got out of control, and the T-virus leaked. Now everyone in my time is dying, including him." Feeling her eyes water, she was thankful that she was wearing the blindfold.

Leon stood. "Which means everyone in my time–"

"Is dying as well." She lowered her head. "I'm the only one who can stop this, but everything's gotten so out of hand. I don't know what to do."

Leon was silent for a while and started pacing back and forth. Her heart sank, seeing his distraught expression.

"It makes sense. Before this, I was investigating a recent viral-outbreak, and then it was like winter hit at full force. Everything froze over, and I passed out. The next thing I knew, I was in the Arklay forest, and now it's like my life is flashing before my eyes." He paused in his stride. "Is there something that can be done?"

"I thought of making a cure, but I got caught in a bad situation before waking up here." She looked at the strange, stain-glass symbols on the wall. "Where is  _here_ ?"

"Los Illuminados. They're a cult I defeated a couple years ago." Leon pointed to the body on the floor. "And that was a Las Plagas. It's a parasite that's powerful enough to control the body of its host and turn them into a puppet."

"And I thought the T and G viruses were bad." A shiver ran down Persephone's spine. "Hmm. Maybe there is a way you can help. Remember when I asked if you believed in gods?"

He thought for a minute. "Yes."

"That's what I need now. I know we're millennia apart, but a god gains their strength from a mortal's faith." She sighed. "I lost my immortality during the battle, but you could help me restore it."

"What do I have to do?" he said.

"Believe in me. Pray for me to fix everything." She stepped closer to him.

He looked skeptical and folded his arms before shaking his head. "You really think something like that is going to work?"

"I don't know." She lowered her head. "But at this point, I'm willing to throw anything at the wall to see what sticks. Please, Leon."

"Alright, I'll believe in you, but–" He placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head up to face him. "Only if you don't stop believing in yourself."

She smiled. "Deal."

….

Persephone woke to silence. She was back in the real world and was lying on the bank of a shallow stream. Cerberus and the monster that attacked them were nowhere in sight, and she was surrounded by endless forest.

She checked her timer. "Three hours. Shit."

She stood up and entered the forest. As she ventured further, several snarling sounds caught her attention, and she spotted a group of centaurs further down the grove. They were feasting on a pile of bodies, and she could tell by their rotten skin that the centaurs had turned.

She tip-toed by them, but when she was almost out of sight, she stepped on a twig. Alerted to her presence, the centaurs roared and gave chase. Sprinting deeper into the grove, she bobbed and weaved in different directions, but death hadn't slowed the centaurs down.

Grabbing a grenade from her holster, she pulled out the pin with her teeth and thew it behind her. An explosion sounded off, and one of the centaurs went down. She kept her pace until she reached a stone wall. It was at least ten feet high and had golden spikes aligning the top.

"Just what I need." Looking around, Persephone spotted a tree that was positioned very close to the wall.

She hurried over and clambered up the tree, but one of the centaurs shook the trunk, almost uprooting it. She jumped and grabbed onto the golden bars at the top of the wall. Pulling herself up, she climbed over and dropped down on the other side.

She took a moment to catch her breath and examined her surroundings. She was in the courtyard of a grand villa. "Looks like I landed on the rich side of town."

She headed toward the mansion. The place looked abandoned, and many of the windows were boarded up. She walked up to the main entrance doors and tried to open them, but they wouldn't budge. She tried again, putting all of her body weight into, but stopped when she heard a loud crash. The centaurs had smashed through the wall.

"Oh great." Running to one of the windows, Persephone kicked the boards until they gave in. She headed inside and looked around. _Too quiet for my liking. I wonder if there are any survivors?_

She ventured through the entry hall. The place was much more traditionally decorated, making her scrunch her nose. She missed the darker nature of the Underworld already.

A scream echoed from one of the rooms, and she headed toward it. She entered a hallway with multiple doors, but they were all locked except for one. Stepping closer, she could hear noises from behind it and took a deep breath. She opened the door and saw a zombie eating a satyr's torso. It paused, smelling her vitality, and turned to face her.

"Sorry, wrong door." Persephone closed it before the zombie could get up and ran down the hallway.

She found a staircase, but when she set her foot on the first step, it creaked. She looked around, making sure she hadn't attracted any attention, and headed up to the second floor. Her eyes darted in every direction, but she didn't see anything suspicious.

Then, 'wham', something hard slammed right in her face. She fell to the floor from whiplash, and saw a blurred figure standing over her. They were about to strike again, but she aimed her handgun, making them pause mid-swing. She blinked a few times, her vision clearing.

A woman with auburn hair was bolding a stone-frying pan over her head, her violet eyes glaring down at her. "There's nothing here for you, thief!"

"I'm not a thief, lady. I got chased by those monsters outside." Persephone glanced her up and down. The woman was fairly thin, except for the large bump protruding from her stomach. _Great, I'm about to shoot a pregnant woman._

"Sure you did." The woman narrowed her eyes. "Put down your weapon."

"So you can bash my head in again?" Persephone snorted. "Forget it. If I was really a threat, I would've put one between your eyes already."

"Like you could hurt me with that stupid thing," the woman said with an arrogant huff.

Persephone pulled the trigger, and the woman yelped, the frying pan flying out of her hands.

"Please don't make me waste another bullet." Persephone stood. "Now, who are you?"

The woman's eyes were wide, but she tried to hide her fear under a sneer. "I should be asking you that question."

A loud crash sounded off, and they both looked down. Two centaurs stampeded through the wall, and with a ferocious roar, rammed into the staircase. The woman lost her balance and fell over the railing, but she grabbed onto the bars, leaving her to dangle over the edge. One of the centaurs tried to grab her, but Persephone shot it in the eye.

"Hold on." Taking the woman's hands, she pulled her back over the railing, and they collapsed on the floor.

The woman pointed ahead. "They're coming up the stairs!"

Persephone approached the centaur that was almost at the top and pulled out her shotgun. She aimed it just right, so she'd have a clear shot through his chin and fired. The centaur's head burst into blood, and its body fell back down the stairs.

"One down," she smirked and waited for the second centaur to approach. "Come on, big boy, make this easy for me."

The centaur got close and tried to grab her, making her back up and misfire the shot. The bullet went through its shoulder, and it roared. Persephone continued to back away while reloading her shotgun. The centaur managed to grab her leg and tried to bite down, but she swiped at it with her left arm blade, slicing its jaw clean off.

The woman struck the centaur against its head with the frying pan, knocking it back, and Persephone re-aimed her shotgun. She fired it, blowing the centaur's head to bits. Its body fell off the side of the railing and crashed to the floor below.

Persephone caught her breath and looked at the woman. "Thanks."

"No problem." She put a hand on her stomach and steadied herself. "What did you say your name was?"

Persephone stood. "I didn't."

"Well, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." The woman smiled. "My name's Megara. My friends call me Meg."

_She was Hades' servant?_ Persephone's eyes widened, and she hoped Meg didn't catch it. "Name's Des, short for Despoina."

She didn't know why, but something in the back of her mind told her that it'd be smarter not to give out her actual name. Granted, she wasn't a patron deity yet, so the mortals shouldn't recognize her. However, she couldn't be too careful, especially now that she was around someone who had a direct connection to Hades.

Meg gestured to the door behind herself. "Alright, Des. Let's go somewhere safer."

Persephone followed Meg through the mansion and into the kitchen. Finding a stool, she sat down while Meg secured the door.

"So I'm assuming you're from Sparta? Female warriors aren't common around these parts." Meg leaned against the counter.

She shrugged. "You could say that."

"Where did you get those strange weapons from?" Meg said, her gaze fixated on the shotgun.

"They're imported." She sighed. "Are you the only survivor?"

Meg lowered her head. "Yes. I lost all of my guests to whatever this curse is that's spreading outside. My husband left yesterday to find out what was going on, but he hasn't come back yet. I sent Phil to try and find some help an hour ago, but he's gone too."

Persephone tapped her chin. "What did Phil look like?"

"Satyr, fat, grouchy attitude." Meg gestured the height with her hand.

"Phil didn't make it. I saw him downstairs being eaten." She furrowed her brow.

"Fuck." Meg put a hand to her mouth. "What's going on? Why is this happening?"

"Look, I'm trying to get to Thebes." Persephone stood. "Is there back door to this place?"

She nodded. "Yes, through the armory. "I'll take you there, and we can head into Thebes through the forest."

"We?" Persephone shook her head. "No way. I don't have time for an escort mission right now."

"I'm not asking. My husband is out there somewhere, and I'm not going to wait around when he could be in danger." Meg walked toward the door.

"No offense, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to run around outside given your  _delicate_ condition." Persephone pointed to her stomach.

"I'm fine." Meg stepped out into the hallway. "Now follow me."

The two of them headed downstairs toward the armory. In the middle of the hallway were two, wooden doors with a padlock over them.

Meg pointed at a door on the far wall. "We can get out to the forest through there."

"Not so fast." Persephone stepped in front of her. "How far along are you?"

Meg thought for a minute. "About three to four months."

Persephone sighed. "Listen, I can't guarantee your protection.

"I don't care." Meg folded her arms.

"Alright, but don't come crying to me when you end up splooshing all over the ground." Walking over to the swords, she picked one that had the longest range. "Here."

Meg fumbled a bit, but managed to catch the sword. "I don't fight."

"Well, if you want to come with me, you have to be able to defend yourself and back me up when I need you." Persephone snickered. "Or you can be a good, little girl and stay put. Your choice."

"Fine." Meg retrieved a second sword along with some knives.

Once they were ready, they set off into the depths of the forest. Persephone kept her shotgun out in case they ran into anymore centaurs. She glanced at Meg. She wasn't sure what to make of the woman. Everything Hades had said about her gave reason for concern, but right now, Persephone's sudden partnership with her was a necessary evil.

_I'll give her a chance and see how it goes._ Persephone sighed.

"You're really quiet," Meg said, turning around.

"I would prefer not to attract any attention if that's okay." She shifted her gaze at their surroundings.

They stopped at a sudden demarcation line. The rest of the forest beyond that point had dried up and rotted out.

Meg's eyes widened. "What happened here?"

"Don't know." Persephone noticed that the barren trees were caked with large coats of blood. "But let's hurry."

They sped through the grove. Skeletons lay at the base of the trees and shrubs, and the air was thick with a metallic scent. A man jumped out into the middle of the path, making them stop with their weapons pointed at him. He was screaming like a maniac and clutching his side, which was dripping a foamy fluid.

"No!" The man stepped back, terror filling his eyes. "Get away from me!"

Persephone lowered her gun. "It's okay, sir. Calm down. We can help you."

The man screamed and ran. Hands reached out from one of the trees and dragged him into the bark. A few moments later, the man's screaming ceased and blood gushed from the tree.

Meg gasped. "What the…."

"Let's get out of here." Persephone sprinted toward the forest's exit, but the ground raised underneath her, making her fall back. Infected nymphs sprouted from the grass and crawled in their direction.

Meg raised her sword. "They're all around us."

Nymphs slimed out of the trees and shrubs; they hissed at Persephone and Meg, their teeth sharp and caked with blood.

"What we we do?" Meg looked at Persephone, her voice frantic.

Persephone swapped her shotgun for her handgun and shot the closest nymph in the head. "Get enough of them down, so we can dodge around them and escape."

She continued shooting the nymphs, trying her best to land as many head shots as possible. Meg swung her sword at one of the nymphs, but only scraped its neck by a few centimeters. She tripped and fell on her back. The nymph pounced on top of her, but she rammed her sword through its jaw, piercing through its skull. It went limp against her, and Meg shoved the corpse off herself.

"Come on." Persephone grabbed Meg by the hand and rushed through the opening she created.

They sprinted down the remainder of the path and onto a bridge that connected the forest to the city-state. Persephone looked back and saw that the infected nymphs were trailing after them at a steady pace. Pulling out another grenade, she tossed it at the edge of the bridge. It exploded within seconds, blasting several of the boards off. The nymphs didn't halt their pursuit and fell off the cliff one by one.

Persephone and Meg stopped once they reached the end of the bridge and caught their breath. The silence of the city-state didn't put Persephone's nerves at ease.

_It feels like it did before._ She straightened up and reloaded her handgun.  _I'll stick with this unless we run into something big._

Meg stepped forward and gestured toward the dilapidated city-state in front of them. "Welcome to Thebes."


	11. Two-Faced

The place was a mess like Raccoon City had been. Chariots were turned over and smashed into things. Everything from the buildings to the ground was painted red, and the putrid odor was even fouler. The amount of undead the city produced was unnerving. They filled the streets, slumping along with no destination.

Persephone felt her heartbeat quicken and pound faster with each second. Flashes of Raccoon City appeared in her mind, and she locked up.

"Des?" Meg put a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. "Despoina, are you okay?"

Persephone blinked, escaping her trance. "I…." She felt her heartbeat steady and looked at the ground. "I'm okay. It's just… I didn't think it was that bad here."

"Yeah." Meg eyed the corpses. "But how are we going to get through? There's too many of them."

Hearing a haggard hiss, they turned and saw a legless corpse crawling over to them.

"I've got an idea." Persephone held out her hand. "Give me your sword."

Meg did as she asked. "What are you doing?"

Persephone walked over to the corpse and stabbed it in the head with the sword. The corpse went limp, and Persephone turned it over on its back with her foot.

She carved its stomach open. "Time to get messy."

Reaching into the gash, Persephone pulled out the corpse's viscera, and started rubbing it all over herself.

"Ugh." Meg put a hand over her mouth and resisted the urge to barf. "Are you serious?"

"Very. If we can camouflage ourselves, we might be able to slip through." Persephone walked over to her, her hands coated in the corpse's fluids. "Your turn."

"And if this doesn't work?" Meg flinched when the cold goo hit her skin.

"Then you'd better master that sword." Persephone finished coating her back.

Meg looked down at herself and gagged. "Not very strategic, are you?"

She grinned. "I'm a _go with the flow_ kind of girl." She loosened her stance and shuffled forward, her left leg dragging behind her. "Now play the part. Just remember to keep calm." She let out a dry moan and headed out into the street.

The plan seemed to work, for none of the corpses responded to their presence. However, as they headed further down the road, they realized that the corpses had been distracted by someone else. A young man had been cornered by a huge horde.

He blocked the corpses' attacks with giant, white wings that were attracted to his arms, but it seemed like only a matter of time before he'd be overwhelmed.

"Hey, watch it!" He swatted one away. "You guys are relentless, aren't you?"

"Come on!" Persephone rushed to the scene and took down some of zombies that were straggling behind the main horde.

One of the zombies grabbed Persephone from behind, and she struggled to get out of its grip until she heard a swift 'shing' and the cutting of meat. The corpse let go of her and fell to the ground. Meg stood in its place, and she nodded to Persephone before slicing the arms off another zombie, its gunky blood splattering all over her. Persephone plowed her way through the horde toward the survivor, aiming for as many head-shots as she could.

_He'll be dead before I reach him._ She placed her handgun into her holster before scalping a corpse that had snuck up next to her with her right arm blade. "Hey, you!"

The man peeked through the long, thick feathers of his wings, and some of the corpses turned around and moved to attack her. Persephone pulled out the semi-automatic from her hip.

"Get down!" The second the man crouched down, she unleashed a barrage of bullets that annihilated the remaining corpses. When the last corpse dropped, she re-strapped the semi to her side and ran over to the man. "Are you alright, sir? Have you been bitten or scratched?"

The man stood, dropping his wings to his sides; they seemed to be a part of the apparatus strapped to his chest. "I'm fine. Thanks for the save." He pointed to her guns, his tone enthusiastic. "Wow! I've never seen such an intriguing invention."

"They're imported." Persephone sighed. "Anyway, I'm Despoina, and this is Megara." She gestured to Meg, who had caught up with her.

"Meg?" The man stared at her with wide eyes before he grew a grin as wide as his face. "You couldn't be Hercules' wife?"

She nodded. "Yes…." She gasped, her eyes shifting as though remembering something. "Wait, are you Icarus?"

"The one and only, my lady." Icarus gave her a graceful bow. "Herc told me all about you in his letters. It's nice to finally put a name to a pretty face." He winked at her.

Persephone cleared her throat. "Not that this reunion isn't cute and all, but can we do this somewhere safer before another horde shows up?"

"Not a problem. I can take you to the safe house." Icarus spread his arms, his wings reaching out to full length. "Here. Hold onto the hooks on my belt."

"Is that safe?" Meg folded her arms.

Another horde crashed through a nearby blockade and slumped over in their direction.

"Safer than them!" Persephone grabbed onto one of the hooks. "Come on, Meg!"

Meg hesitated for a moment before grabbing onto a hook as well. Icarus pushed a few buttons on the device around his torso. Steam blew out of the wings, and they were sent soaring into the air.

Meg screamed and clung harder to her hook. She glanced at Persephone, who was much calmer about being dangled several feet in the air.  _There's something off about her, but I can't put my finger on it._

Persephone chuckled. "I take it you don't like heights?"

"No," Meg said, trying to put on a brave face.

"Don't worry. We're almost there." Icarus lowered down.

They stood before a large building. One side of the roof had caved into the lower levels.

Meg found her balance before looking up. "The police station?"

"The most secure place ever." Icarus smiled and headed upstairs. "So where's Herc? I doubt he'd want you wandering around by yourself."

"He went to Mt. Olympus, but he hasn't returned. I decided to try and find him." She noticed that Persephone wasn't following them. "Des?"

Persephone remained glued to the first step, her stance rigid. Her eyes widened, her gaze unfocused, and she hyperventilated.

Icarus paused and looked at Meg. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Meg shook her head. "Des…." She waved a hand in front of Persephone's face. "Despoina?"

"No. They're all around us," Persephone cried, her voice weak, "I'm sorry."

"What?" Meg furrowed her brow.

"Run. I can't…." Persephone dropped to her knees, her hands on her head. "I'm sorry! I can't! Get off of her!"

Meg slapped Persephone, her hand colliding with her helmet. She cringed and recoiled her hand.

Persephone blinked a few times. "What was that for?"

Icarus walked over to her. "You were losing it."

"That's the second time." Meg folded her arms. "What's going on?"

"I'm fine." Persephone pushed past Meg and Icarus and headed up the stairs.

"Not to be offensive, but you're really mobile for a blind woman." Icarus caught up to her.

"I've been wondering that myself." Meg followed behind them.

"I'm not blind. I don't want anyone to see my eyes," Persephone said.

Icarus opened the door to the station and let them through. "What are you, part gorgon or something?"

"Uh, yeah, something like that." She looked away.

They entered the main lobby of the station, and it looked like a war had taken place. Icarus led Meg and Persephone around the corner and down a long stairway. At the bottom, they reached a dark hallway; small torches aligned the wall that barely emitted any light. They walked until they reached a large, metal door.

"Here we are." Icarus knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" An aggressive, female voice called from the other side.

"It's Icarus. I found some survivors." He knocked again. "Open up."

The door opened, and on the other side, stood a gruff woman in armor. She glanced over Meg and Persephone with narrowed eyes before returning her attention to Icarus.

"Are they clean?" she said.

He nodded. "Yes, of course."

The woman unsheathed a large, heavy blade and pointed it at him. "Are you sure? Because if you're wrong, it's your neck they'll rip open."

Icarus gulped and tilted the tip of the sword away from him with his index finger. "They're not. I swear."

"Very well." The woman sheathed her sword. "I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Tempest, heir to the Amazonian throne."

"Megara." She folded her arms.

"Despoina," Persephone said, her tone distant.

Tempest opened the door further and led them through the prison. Most of the cells were empty, but there was evidence that the inmates had broken out. The strumming of a lyre caught Meg's attention once they reached the final cell.

Sitting in the corner was a young man with long, brown hair; he hummed a few notes while he entertained the others. A woman with red hair sat beside him, her eyes closed, and lastly, lying across the bed was a blond man with bronze skin. While his clothes were tattered, it wasn't enough to disguise his royal lineage.

Meg gasped. "Adonis?"

Looking up, Adonis gave her a cheeky grin and replied in a smooth baritone, "Megara?" He walked over to her. "How wonderful to see…."

A loud smack across the face ended his sentence.

"You asshole!" Meg glared at him, her eyes watering. "How dare you talk to me like nothing happened?"

"Calm down." He rubbed his face. "It's been five years."

"Five years since you left me after I sold my soul to save you!" She raised her sword.

Adonis squealed and cowered back. "And no one appreciates your sacrifice more than me."

Icarus stepped in between them. "It's not going to do us any good if we start fighting with each other."

"Why not? He deserves it." She gritted her teeth.

Icarus lowered her hand. "Meg, Adonis may be a grade alpha jerk, but we need all the help we can get."

Every part of her wanted to skewer Adonis, but it was clear that this wasn't the time or the place. "Fine." She put her sword away.

Adonis sighed. "So how's your servitude going?" He looked at her stomach. "Seems you've been doing more than scrubbing floors."

"Hercules rescued me." Meg narrowed her eyes. "We're married now, and this child is  _his_ , not that disgusting…." Her blood boiled at the reminder of Hades touching her. "Never mind. Just stay away from me."

She walked over to the bed and sat down. All this stress was wreaking havoc on her body, and she needed a rest before she wore herself out.

"So do you know what's going on?" Tempest folded her arms.

"No." She shook her head.

"All of this is crazy." Adonis threw his arms in the air. "The gods have gone m.i.a., the dead are wandering the streets, and there's no hope in sight. I mean, who could've seen this coming?"

The red-haired woman stepped forward. "I did, but as usual, no one believes me."

Icarus chuckled and placed an arm around the woman's shoulders. "Oh right, Meg, Despoina, this is Cassandra. We used to be quite the item back in school."

Cassandra frowned and moved away just enough for Icarus to lose his balance and fall on the floor. "In his dreams." She had a very dry tone to her voice that gave her a cynical vibe.

Meg nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." She smiled.

Adonis folded his arms. "So what did you see exactly?"

Cassandra's eyes turned green, her pupils swirling. "The love of a god will bring destruction upon the world. A maiden, fair in grace and beauty and as pure as spring itself, shall be consumed by death. In her absence, the dead will walk, the living will perish, and time itself will cease. There will be no salvation lest the maiden is returned to her rightful place."

He stomped over to her. "And who is this maiden? Where can we find her?"

"She's…." Still in a trance, Cassandra pointed at Persephone, who had remained in the doorway of the cell. "There."

"Wow. I don't know what to say. I'm flattered, really." Persephone shook her head. "But I think you have me confused with someone else."

The musician stopped playing his lyre. "What was the maiden's name?"

"Persephone." Cassandra's eyes returned to normal. "Daughter of Demeter."

"She said her name was Despoina." Tempest walked over to Persephone and pointed her heavy blade at her. "If that  _is_ your true self."

"Sorry to disappoint. I'm just a mortal trying to survive like the rest of you." She shrugged.

Tempest narrowed her eyes. "If what you say is true, then take off your mask. Let's see if you match Cassandra's description."

"Not a good idea. She told us she was part gorgon," Icarus said.

Tempest looked at Cassandra. "Did the prophecy mention this Persephone being a half-breed?"

"No." Cassandra shook her head, her brow furrowed. "She was a full-fledged goddess."

The musician raised an eyebrow. "But you pointed at her."

"Well, Orpheus, it's clear she needs her vision checked." Adonis snorted.

"Is this witch hunt over, or are you going to dunk me into a pool and see if I float?" Persephone said.

Orpheus sighed. "We need to focus on finding better shelter. We have no food, water, and those creatures have overrun the city-state."

"And where would be safe enough?" Adonis said.

Tempest opened a map on the floor and pointed to a specific location. "We could try Crete. It's an island, so there's a chance this curse hasn't spread there."

"That's too far away." Adonis whined. "My legs will fall off from all that walking."

Tempest growled and narrowed her eyes. "You're an embarrassment to royal blood."

"How so?" He turned up his nose at her. "Because I embrace the world of luxury?"

"Listen, little boy, I'm in charge here." She pointed her finger in his face. "So take Icarus and Orpheus and go braid each other's hair while the  _women_ figure out a plan."

He swatted her hand away. "Make me, bitch."

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Icarus said, trying to pry them apart.

Persephone stepped forward. "What about the Underworld?"

Everyone paused and stared at her like she had grown three heads.

"You're joking, right?" Adonis said.

She shook her head. "One of the entrances are nearby, and I could get you in easily."

Meg glanced at her with skeptic eyes. "And how would you be able to do that?"

She looked away. "I have a connection."

"So you want us to escape the dead people by going somewhere with nothing but dead people?" Icarus said.

Persephone nodded. "The souls are harmless as long as you stay out of the rivers, and the corpses aren't attracted there because of the lack of vitality."

Adonis shivered. "And what makes you think the God of the Underworld is going to let us into his kingdom?"

"He will," she said, her tone overconfident.

"How do you know?" he said.

She paused, considering her answer. "It's not a matter of how I know, but whether you're willing to trust me."

Tempest walked over to her and got in her face. "And why should we trust you?"

The corners of her mouth curved upward into a tiny smirk. "You got a better plan?"

Everyone went silent, and Tempest returned to her map in a huff. Meg watched Persephone leave the cell, and a thousand questions entered her mind.

"What a loon." Adonis scoffed. "She might as well have asked us to commit suicide."

_It makes so much sense now._ Meg stood.

Exiting the cell, she found Persephone in the neighboring one to the right. Persephone was sitting on the bed and fiddling with her weapons.

Meg folded her arms and leaned against the cell doorway. "So why did you do it?"

"Excuse me?" she said.

"You made a deal with Hades, didn't you?" Meg spoke in a hushed tone, so the others wouldn't hear.

Persephone's eyes widened a little. "This really isn't the time."

"It's okay, Des." Meg smiled. "I used to work for him too."

"I know who you are." Persephone turning away from her.

"He's mentioned me?" She sat down beside her.

"Nothing positive." Persephone grinned.

"Is that why you were in my home?" Meg tensed, her hands digging into the weak material of the bed.

She couldn't help her paranoia. She had betrayed Hades and stopped him from conquering Mt. Olympus. She knew it would only be a matter of time before he sought revenge.

"No." Persephone looked at her. "You made your choices, and you must own up to them. Whatever happened between you two has nothing to do with me."

Meg put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Despoina, you don't have to work for Hades. When we find Hercules, he and I can get you out."

"I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself," she said.

_She's being defensive. I should've expected as much._ Meg sighed. "I don't know what he promised you, but trust me, serving that creep isn't worth sacrificing your life. Your dreams."

"Dreams are for children; then you grow up and lose them." She closed her eyes. "Or they become nightmares."

Meg chuckled. "I used to be cynical like that too, but then I met Hercules and everything couldn't be more perfect."

"Yeah, it must be nice, throwing yourself at any dick to get what you want. Princes, gods, heroes–" Persephone finished reloading everything and headed for the hallway. "Sorry, but some of us girls have to get things done ourselves."

Meg gasped. "How dare you say something like that? I'm trying to help you."

"And I said I didn't need it." Persephone stood in the doorway. "So why don't we focus on getting out of here without getting ourselves killed?"

Someone screamed, and Meg and Persephone rushed back to the other cell. Cassandra's eyes were green, and she stood up, her expression frantic.

"Guys, we need to get out of here!" Her pupils swirled, and she spoke in a haunting tone, "Something's hunting us."

Adonis rolled his eyes. "Enough with your drama, Cassandra. Nothing's going to find us here."

He leaned against the wall, and a giant claw burst through the stone and right into his torso. Blood spilled from his mouth, and he let out a high-pitched scream before getting yanked back through, his limbs snapping while he was pulled into the tight opening.

Tempest unsheathed her sword. "Everybody move! Now!"

The group rushed upstairs, ignoring the blood-curling roar that echoed around them. Reaching the lobby, they rushed toward the exit, but the floor erupted in front of them, knocking everyone back. Dust and debris flew everywhere, and when the haze cleared, everyone stared at the monstrosity before them with wide eyes.

Persephone gasped. "Zeus?"

….

_"Die!"_

_"I hate you!"_

_"How could you do this to me!"_

Hades kept his eyes closed, doing his best to ignore the barrage of insults. He didn't how long it had been. All he could see, all he could hear was young Persephone, and no matter what he did, she wouldn't go away.

"It was a mistake!" He glared at the specter. "Why can't you understand that!"

_"Don't lie!"_

_"You never cared!"_

_"Why didn't you protect me?"_

The environment around Hades changed, and he found himself in the dream world Persephone had originally created. Everything was mystical and serene like he remembered it. Looking down at himself, he gasped. He was thirteen-years-old again, and in his right hand was a crown.

_This is the one I made for her back then._ The memory hit Hades with a soul crushing blow.

_"Be sure to show up early tomorrow night, Aidi."_

He could see a young, happy Persephone smiling at him.

_"I have a special surprise for you."_

"What kind of surprise?" Hades said.

She giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes.  _"Let's just say it's something you'll never forget."_

An unknown force pulled him into the field. The wind picked up, and the sky grew dark, lightning flashing amongst the clouds. The peaceful meadow turned into a valley of the dead. Skeletons and dismembered limbs scattered the area, and a foul smell filled the air.

"Persephone?" He covered his nose.

"Mom! Persephone! Someone help!"

_I recognize that voice_ . Hades rushed toward the screams and found Despoina lying on the floor, her body ripped to shreds. He knelt beside her. "What happened?"

Despoina violently convulsed and kept coughing up blood. "Monsters everywhere!" She shook back and forth as though she were trying to escape something.

"What?" He looked around, but didn't see anything that could have maimed her like this. _Is this happening in their time?_ He tried to do something for Despoina, but she was too far gone. "Where's Persephone?"

"I don't know." Despoina choked on the blood that filled her throat, her lungs struggling for air, and faded away.

"No!" Hades stood up and searched the area. "Persephone!"

A louder, ear-piercing scream echoed across the world, shocking him to his very core. He knew that voice. The sky, the meadow, and everything in between disappeared, leaving him in an endless abyss of darkness.

"Persephone!" He looked around, his heart pounding heavier with each second. "Despoina! Someone please answer!"

A body appeared before him, and he dropped the crown. It was Persephone. She was strewn across the ground, her limbs bent in an unnatural position. Blood pooled underneath her from the gash in her abdomen, and her face was stricken with fear.

Hades took a few steps back, his mind trying to process this new reality. "Persephone!" He screamed at the top of his lungs over and over until his voice grew hoarse.

She gurgled and moved, her hand reaching out for him.

"Persephone?" Tears spilled from his eyes, and he rushed to her side. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Aidi…." She touched his face, her voice meek and filled with sadness. "Help me."

The lights left her eyes, and her hand dropped back down, her body vanishing like Despoina's.

Hades' breath quickened, and he clawed at the spot she had been in. "Persephone! No! What happened! Don't leave me!"

He continued to scream and cry even after he woke up inside of his father's stomach.

"Don't leave me," he said, transforming into his adult self.

The environment changed back into the dead field, and now a bloody, adult Persephone stood before him.

" _Why didn't you save me?"_ Her hollow eyes bore into his.

"I couldn't do anything," he cried, "You were in another time. I was still trapped inside of my father. I couldn't…."

" _But you escaped!"_ She scowled at him.  _"You could've tried to find me! But you did nothing! You abandoned me! And now all you've done is torture me! Forcing me to watch you die!"_

"I'm sorry." Hades lowered his head. He had pushed that memory away; that's why he didn't remember her at first. He had wanted to forget that pain, the voice that had driven him mad with grief. "I'm sorry."

The image of Persephone and the field vanished, and Hades was back in his room, chained to the wall. Lust and Vanity stood in front of him, returning to their regular forms.

"He's coming to," Vanity said.

Hades blinked a few times. "What happened?"

Lust folded his arms. "You passed out after we gave you that hallucinogen."

"You drugged me!" He glared at them.

"It was to teach you a lesson." Lust sighed. "Now for the truth. Lady Persephone told us to torture you, but it was because she didn't want you to know that she's trying to help you."

"What?" Hades raised an eyebrow, his mind still a little cloudy.

Vanity nodded. "She went out to see if she could make a cure to save your sorry ass, and in the meantime, she ordered us to give you this." He held up a green syringe. "We've been healing you to prolong the effects of that virus."

_She's trying to save me? It would explain why the serum made me feel better._ Hades frowned. "Then what was all that stuff before?"

Vanity chuckled. "That was our idea."

"And Pain and Panic?" he said.

"Lady Persephone had us detain them because they wouldn't help her save you," Lust said.

Hades thought for a moment. "How long has she been gone?"

"Almost six hours." Vanity looked at the syringe he was holding. "We only have one left."

"Take Pain and Panic and find her," Hades said.

"But she told us to look after you." Lust shook his head. "I know she'll be devastated if you allow yourself to turn."

"I don't care." He lowered his head. "Just help her. Go."

Lust and Vanity shared a glance. "As you wish, my Lord." They left the room.

….

Persephone jumped to her feet.  _He was the monster that attacked me by Mt. Olympus._

Zeus stood thirteen feet tall, his massive, muscular form looming over them. Long claws stretched out from his hands, and there was a giant eyeball on his right arm, which was more deformed than the other. His own eyes were glossed over, and part of his face had been stripped of its flesh, exposing the bone and gristle underneath.

_He's infected with the G-virus._ It twitched and zeroed in on Persephone. "Run!"

Everyone scrambled to their feet and headed for the exit, but G-Zeus blocked their path. Persephone took out her semi-automatic and fired at his face, stunning him long enough for Meg, Icarus, Cassandra, and Orpheus to hide in a corner.

G-Zeus swung his claw at Persephone, but Tempest countered him with her sword and hacked three of his claws off. She stabbed him in the torso, but he punted her into a pillar. It cracked from the force, and after a few moments, the foundation crumbled.

_If Zeus is infected with the T and G virus, he can provide the blood sample I need._ Persephone spotted the claws that Tempest had chopped off.  _That should be enough for a tissue fragment._

She dodged-rolled under his next attack and grabbed the claws off of the ground. She turned around and kept firing the semi-automatic until she heard a click.

_Shit, he absorbs bullets like a damn sponge._ A piece of debris fell in front of her, and she looked up. "The ceiling's caving in!"

Icarus led the group through the exit. "Outside now!"

Persephone turned around. "Tempest, come on!" She dodged another swipe by the tyrant.

Tempest stood and clutched her side. "The rest of you go. I'll slow it down."

Persephone took out her shotgun and blasted G-Zeus in the chest. "No, you're coming with us!"

"I'm a warrior. I can handle this." Tempest shoved Persephone toward the exit before turning to face G-Zeus. "And if the worst happens, I'll meet you guys in the Underworld anyway. Now go!"

Persephone rushed out while Tempest and G-Zeus charged at each other. She joined the others at the bottom of the stairs, and they all turned around to see the building collapse.

Icarus looked at Persephone. "What happened?"

"Tempest stayed behind to slow it down." She looked out at the horde filling the streets. "How are we going to get through? I think have enough ammo, but I'd rather save it in case–" She glanced back at the collapsed building.

"Got it taken care of." Orpheus pulled out his lyre and strummed it.

"This is no time for a musical number," Persephone said.

"Watch." Orpheus winked at her before heading out into the horde.

The zombies turned toward him but didn't attack. Instead, they twitched and jolted their bodies in a poor attempt to dance. Orpheus motioned for the group to follow him.

"His music is powerful enough to sway the dead?" Meg raised an eyebrow.

Cassandra nodded. "That's something you don't see everyday."

"Let's get out of here while it lasts." Persephone headed out into the horde and followed Orpheus. "Hurry."

The group moved through the streets, the melody of Orpheus' lyre distracting the zombies. Persephone trailed behind the group, deep in thought.

_Mission accomplished._ She patted her pouch where she had placed the claws before checking her timer.  _Six and a half hours. I'm cutting it close, but it's better than nothing._ She smiled. _You're going to be okay, Aidi._

She could abandon the group right now, so she could make a cure for him. However, she didn't have the heart to. Their lives had been destroyed because of her mistake, and she felt like she owed them.

It wasn't long before they reached the outskirts where the city-state met the forest, and with it, came the red haze that filled the area. The trip took a bit longer since they could barely see a few feet in front of their own noses, but they eventually reached a large cliff. Below was a huge drop into a ravine.

Meg pointed ahead. "There's a shortcut into the Underworld up there."

"But how are we going to get across?" Orpheus examined the cliff. "It's too steep to simply climb down."

Icarus cleared his throat. "Hello, I can fly us across. Who wants to go first?"

Persephone stepped forward. "I'll go. I can let Hades know he's going to have visitors."

Meg shook her head. "I'm staying behind."

"What?" Icarus looked at her. "We can't leave you out here by yourself."

"I'm not going anywhere near that place." Meg scowled at the mountains. "Besides, I still need to find Wonder-boy."

_I have to tell her. She deserves to know._ Persephone sighed. "Then you should come with us because that's where he is."

"Wha… what are you talking about?" Meg said, her voice trembling a little.

"Hercules, the Olympians, they're all dead." She lowered her head. "Turned into monsters like everyone else. That's why Zeus back there…."

"How do you know that?" Icarus raised an eyebrow.

"Because Hades is the one responsible for all of this." Meg narrowed her eyes. "Isn't he?"

"Yes, it's true," Persephone said, "But please understand. It was an accident."

"With Hades, there are no accidents." Meg unsheathed her sword and pointed it at her. "And where do you fit into all of this? You're his minion after all. Was this a trap to lure us into his clutches?"

Persephone eyed the sword with caution but kept her composure. "No, he doesn't know I'm doing this. I just wanted to fix everything." She took a deep breath. "To atone for my mistakes because… it was his plan, but I'm the one who killed them."

The expression on Meg's face said everything, and Persephone felt the blade slice across her cheek. She fell on the ground and watched Meg with weary eyes. The others moved away from her.

"You?" Meg heaved, tears streaming down her face.

"I couldn't control myself. It wasn't supposed to be like this, I swear." Persephone drew her gaze toward the ground. "But if you want to see Hercules again, he's in Tartarus. I'm so sorry."

Meg let out an enraged scream. "Hades! Get out here now!"

Persephone sprung to her feet and wrapped a hand over her mouth. "No! Don't!"

"Get off of me!" Meg struggled against her.

Orpheus and Icarus pried them apart and held Persephone down. She tried to wriggle out of their grip, but they were able to keep her in place.

"What should we do with her?" Cassandra said.

"Bring her to Hades," Orpheus said, his tone soft. "I'm sure he misses her."

"A minion? Please. Just toss her off the side." Meg gestured to the cliff. "I know how to  _deal_ with Hades."

"No." Orpheus shook his head. "That's a bad idea."

"Did you hear her? She's a murderer!" Meg scowled. "She was tricking us this whole time!"

Cassandra's eyes turned green. "Uh, you guys…?"

A roar erupted around them, and Cassandra was dragged into the haze, her screams calling out to the others.

"Cassandra!" Icarus chased after her.

_This didn't go as planned, but my guilt is cleared now._ Persephone got out of Orpheus' grip. "Well, it looks like I'm unwanted, so I'll be on my way."

"Not so fast." Meg shoved her, sending her over the edge.

Persephone grabbed onto the vines that had grown alongside the cliff, stopping her fall.

Orpheus gasped. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" He reached over the side. "Grab my hand, my Lady!"

Persephone tried to reach for it, but ended up slipping further down until the vine snapped. She found herself falling backward, her heart leaping out of her chest. She blacked out, dizziness setting in, and the last thing she could make out was Orpheus diving after her.

"Lady Persephone!"


	12. Consuming Despair

Meg stood at the edge of the cliff. "Orpheus didn't say what I think he…." She shook her head. "No, she's only Hades' minion."

The ground rattled underneath her, and she turned to see G-Zeus emerge out of the haze. She ran along the edge of the cliff, being careful not to slip. G-Zeus roared again and pursed her. The earth shook with each of his booming footsteps, and she tripped. She quickly got up and dodged the giant claw that swung her way.

Looking down, Meg saw that she had tripped over Icarus' corpse. G-Zeus swung down at her again, and she blocked him with her sword. However, he was so strong that the blade snapped in half, and he threw her into the rocky wall at the end of the cliff. She clutched her side, trying not to fall down the steep incline.

_This gives me an idea._ Meg loosened as many rocks as she could.

G-Zeus climbed onto the mountain side, and she slowly moved away from him and onto another ledge. Looking up, she saw a large boulder that was positioned right above him.

"Sorry. You're too aggressive for my tastes." She pulled out another rock and caused a landslide.

G-Zeus struggled to stay level and was knocked down by the giant boulder. He roared as he fell down into the ravine. Meg waited for the landslide to stop before climbing back over to the grassy cliff. Walking over to Icarus' corpse, she saw that his wings were still intact.

"I'm coming for you, Wonder-boy." She took the wings off and attached them to her arms. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Standing at the edge of the cliff, Meg spread her arms and jumped. She closed her eyes, expecting to fall to her death, but the wings caught the current, allowing her to soar over the ravine.

….

Feeling something stab her arm, Persephone woke with a jolt and groaned.

"You're going to be okay, Lady Persephone," Lust said.

Turning, she saw Lust and Vanity standing next to her. They were at the bottom of the ravine within a small cave. Lying a few feet away was Orpheus, but he wasn't awake. It didn't even look like he was breathing.

Lust sighed. "You and that mortal fell from the cliff. We caught you, but he didn't make it."

"He was trying to save me." She frowned. "Damn that bitch."

She checked her holster and was relieved to see that her pouch was still there. Glancing at the timer, she saw that it cracked, and the numbers were distorted.

Her heart skipped a beat. "How long have I been out?"

"We weren't keeping track." Vanity pointed outside. "But we have bigger problems."

A green wolf and a magenta ram were battling against G-Zeus. He had mutated into a more dangerous creature. Tentacles sprouted all over his body, and a gaping maw of fangs formed where his head used to be.

"Pain? Panic?" She gasped.

"They've been distracting it while we tended to you," Lust said.

_I can't risk him following me into the Underworld._ Persephone stood and cringed from the ache in her limbs.

"Don't…." Lust tried to stop her. "You're still injured."

"There's no time to worry about that." She stepped out into the open. "Hey, asshole!"

Sensing her presence, G-Zeus turned in her direction, and snarled at her. He charged at her, knocking Pain and Panic out of the way. She held her ground and took out her shotgun.

With a click, she aimed at the large eyeball on his arm. "Let's finish this."

Two shots. That's all Persephone could manage before she had to dodge-roll out the way, but the frantic eyeball on G-Zeus' arm burst, its fluids spraying everywhere. The tyrant roared in agony before swiping its claw at her.

She ran and tried to keep her distance while searching for another weak point.  _His heart. If I could find it in all that flesh._ Most Tyrants had their hearts exposed on their chests, but she couldn't spot it anywhere. "Come on, Zeus, is that the best you can do?"

G-Zeus swiped his tentacles at her, and she blocked them with her arm blades. Right. Left. Right. Left. She sliced the slimy appendages off with perfect precision. Adrenaline overwhelmed her senses, and she embraced it with open arms. There was too much at stake for her to lose now.

Panic bit into G-Zeus' leg, trying to slow him down, but the tyrant whipped him into the rock wall. Pain charged into him, knocking him back, but G-Zeus lifted him up and tossed into the wall with Panic. The tyrant let out a shrill screech, his mouth spreading wide like a carnivorous flower.

Persephone covered her ears.  _His mouth. That's it._ She reached into her pouch and retrieved her last two grenades.

However, G-Zeus closed his mouth as soon as she did and charged at her. She dodged out of the way and pulled out her handgun. She aimed for his knees, hoping to weaken the joints enough to cripple him. G-Zeus jerked back and charged at her again. She dodged once more like a skilled conquistador. His claws became stuck in the ground, and he jerked to break free like the stupid bull he was.

She looked toward Pain and Panic; they had been knocked unconscious. "Lust! Vanity! I need your help!"

They appeared at her side.

"What do you need?" Lust said.

"Get me airborne." She holstered her handgun and picked up the grenades. "Vanity, make him roar, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Got it," they replied.

Lust spread his wings, which grew ten times their original size and lifted Persephone into the air.

Vanity morphed into his human form and baited G-Zeus to attack him. The tyrant swiped his claws over and over while Vanity threw rocks at his mouth. After they circled each other in a violent dance, he managed to hit the right spot, and G-Zeus' mouth opened wide with a booming roar that shook the earth.

"Now!" Persephone pulled the pins of the grenades off with her teeth.

Lust swooped down, and before G-Zeus could close his mouth again, she tossed both of the grenades inside. They landed by the cave and ran further inside for cover.

Lust turned around. "Vanity!"

"I'm here." He appeared in the cave with them.

A few seconds later, G-Zeus' entire body exploded. Blood, viscera, and bits of flesh flew everywhere. What little remained standing was scorched and fell to the ground, nothing more than a jittery mass of plasm.

Persephone stepped out of the cave and smirked at the sight of Zeus' remains. "How's that for a blow-job, you creep!" She laughed.

"Where's Pain and Panic?" Lust walked over to her.

She looked around. Their bodies were lying amongst the rocks. "Oh no." She rushed over to them and gasped.

Pain and Panic's bodies glowed with a dark aura, and their bodies were fading.

She knelt down. "Are you two okay? What's happening?"

Pain looked at her. "It's part of the deal."

"We serve Hades for eternity." Panic coughed. "And if he goes, so do we."

Her eyes widened, and she looked at Lust and Vanity. "You two gave him all of the serums, didn't you?"

The two of them shared a nervous glance.

Lust sighed. "We told Lord Hades what was going on, and he sent us to find you. You were in such bad shape from the fall, so we had to use the last one on you."

"What? No, this isn't happening!" She shook her head, her hands digging into her hair. "I told you not to tell!"

"We know, but it was what he needed to hear." Vanity lowered his head. "We're sorry."

"How could you! I could've had more time! I found the sample I need for the cure!" She wanted to cry, but the only emotion she could feel was rage. It overwhelmed her, and she collapsed on the ground. "No! Not again! I can't lose someone else again!"

"You really do love him, don't you?" Panic choked out.

She looked at him and then at Pain. The three of them had been against each other from day one, but now their feud had been reduced to a tragic misunderstanding.

"Yes," she said, her voice meek.

Panic closed his eyes. "We're sorry for giving you a hard time."

Pain did the same. "You managed to liven things up at least."

Their bodies turned to smoke, and they faded away.

_I can't believe this._ She looked at Lust and Vanity. "We need to go back now!"

….

"Hades!"

Meg stormed into the throne room, only to find it empty. Nothing seemed out of place other than the soul counter, which was spiraling out of control.

"Hades! Come out and face me!" Receiving no response, she scowled.  _Just when I get my happy ending, he has to ruin it. I'll find him._

She ventured upstairs and stopped at the first floor. The torches had extinguished, leaving the hallways pitch black. However, there was still a faint, blue light emitting from one of them. Meg walked over to the torch and lifted it from its stand. A few embers burned within it, but it didn't look like it would last for long.

"Good enough." Meg continued to the top floor and entered Hades' bedchambers.

She'd thought she'd never have to see this place again, but she pushed back those memories and remained focused on her task. Entering the room, she gasped. Thick, blood-soaked chains were attached to the far wall, and it looked like someone or some _thing_ had escaped from them.

"What the…." Meg backed out of the room.

Reentering the hallway, she felt something crunch underneath her foot and looked down. There was a scroll on the floor. Picking it up, she unraveled it to reveal a letter. Some of it was hard to make out, for the parchment was blotched with bloodstains.

_Dear Persephone,_

_If _ reading this, it's too late. I know you _ save me, and I know _ blame yourself. _ my fault. If _ been more careful, I _ died, and you wouldn't _ put in danger, trying to help _ mortals. I guess we had a good run, Angel-face, and no matter what, no matter _ I changed, _ love you._

_-Hades_

"Persephone?" Meg stared at the letter.  _It's written in his hand; there's no mistake. But…. Hades is the god Cassandra spoke of?_ She shook her head. "Oh my…."

An abrupt slam echoed through the hall, and she dropped the torch, killing the last of its spark. She looked around, hoping to spot the source of the noise, but it was too dark. A strange gurgle called out to her, followed by heavy breathing. She moved, unsure what direction it was coming from, and with a scream, she was snatched from behind.

….

Persephone stared at the Styx through one of the windows in the throne room.  _If his soul has already moved on, there's no way I'll find him in this mess._

A scream sounded off upstairs.

"That sounds like Meg." Persephone looked at Lust and Vanity. "Wait here."

Using her lighter, she lit a nearby torch, and took it with her upstairs. The screams become louder as she navigated the dark hallways. Turning a corner, she stopped in her tracks. A body flew straight past her and smashed into the wall with sickening force.

Persephone gasped. "Meg?"

Meg had been torn apart and reduced to a pile of flesh, her blood staining the wall. Hearing a growl, Persephone looked down the hall and saw Hades stalk toward her, his body hunched over. His nails elongated into large claws on both hands, his fangs overlapped his mouth, and his flames engulfed his body along his shoulders, arms and legs. Her gaze met his, and her heart shuttered at how lifeless his eyes were.

"No." Persephone couldn't stop her tears, but she knew what she had to do.  _I won't let you go on like this._

Taking out her shotgun, she aimed for his head but hesitated. Images of her mortal father, mother, and Despoina flashed in her mind. However, Hades drew closer, and if she didn't act now, she'd die. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her arms, and right when Hades was about to grab her, blew his head clean off.

His blood splattered all over her, and everything went in slow motion. She stood there, frozen, watching his corpse fall back. He hit the floor with a thud, his fluids spilling out into a giant pool. The shotgun slipped from her hands, clanging against the floor, and she dropped to her knees.

"No!" She buried her face in her hands. _I_ _found a cure; he could've been saved._ She punched the floor, her fists striking the growing pool of blood with loud splashes. "Idiot! You stupid…! Why didn't you stay away! Why!"

She didn't know how long she cried over his corpse, but her mourning cut short when she heard moaning behind her. She turned around and saw Meg's corpse crawling toward her. Only her upper body remained, leaving a trail of fluid as she crept closer.

Rage bubbled up inside of Persephone. Despite everything, she had tried to help Meg only to get stabbed in the back. "I would've gotten to him in time if it wasn't for you."

She picked up the shotgun by the barrel and bashed Meg's skull in with the handle. One strike. Two strikes. Three strikes. She lost count and continued hitting Meg until she was unrecognizable. Arms tired and out of breath, Persephone tossed the shotgun away.

"My Lady?"

Glancing in the direction of the voice, she saw Lust and Vanity peeking around the corner. She didn't acknowledge them and ran in the opposite direction. She headed upstairs and entered one of the palace outlooks. It reached above ground and stuck out of a tall mountain.

Persephone leaned against the railing and cried. "Aidi… I'm so sorry."

"My Lady, are you alright?" Lust walked over to her.

"What do you think?" She didn't turn around. "Everything's gone to shit, and I can't do anything to help. It's hopeless."

"But you're still here," Vanity said.

She lowered her head. "Did you not hear me? I tried everything, but I couldn't save anyone."

"That's no reason to give up." He furrowed his brow. "As long as you're alive, there's still a chance."

"But I don't know what to do anymore." She shook her head. "The world is getting ripped apart."

"It'll happen either way." Lust folded his arms. "My Lady, please understand that with Lord Hades gone, we have no obligation to stay here, but we have chosen to. We have watched you, and we see that you have the makings of a great leader." He smiled. "Vanity and I would be honored to serve you for eternity."

The two of them got on their knees and bowed to her.

Persephone turned around. "No."

The two of them looked up. "What?"

"No." She sighed. "I appreciate your help, but I've lost enough people already. You're free to go."

Vanity and Lust shared a glance. "But…."

"Please, it'd be better this way." Persephone turned from them. "Go find somewhere safe."

"Very well." Lust nodded. "Good luck, Lady Persephone."

She watched them leave before looking out to the vast ravine below. "I'll clear my head and figure this out."

_"Why are you lying to yourself?"_

Persephone clutched her head and screamed. Laughter echoed around her.

_"There was a friendly, but naive King,_

_Who wed a very nasty Queen._

_The King was loved, but…._

_The Queen was feared."_

"Stop!" Persephone shook her head.

_"Till one day strolling in his court,_

_An arrow pierced the kind King's heart._

_He lost his life and…._

_His lady love!"_

The world around Persephone warped, and before her appeared a bloodied form of T-201.

"Go away!" Persephone glared at her.

"Aww, what's the matter? Upset that you couldn't rescue your prince?" T-201 cackled. "You're pathetic."

"This is all your fault," Persephone said, "You killed him!"

"So what? You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me." T-201 slowly approached her. "You made me because you were too weak to save yourself, and whether you admit it or not, you're nothing without me."

"You're right. I made you to do all the things I couldn't." Persephone kept her nerve, her tone firm. "But that was then, and this is now."

"Then why am I here?" T-201 smirked. "Because deep down you're the same scared, little girl you've always been."

Persephone folded her arms. "I don't need you."

T-201 scowled. "We'll see about that."

Before Persephone could react, T-201 ensnared her by the neck and strangled her. Persephone tried to pry her off, but her other was too strong.

"Don't… do… this," Persephone choked.

"No!" T-201 hissed. "I'm done playing second fiddle to you, and this time, only I will awaken. Now die!"

Persephone felt her body grow weaker and weaker until she was numb. Her mind was fuzzy, and her vision blotched out. All she could think about was her loved ones, and all the mistakes she made. Her hands slipped from T-201's, and she lost the will to fight.

_What's the point anymore? It's better this way._ She closed her eyes.

She let out one final breath before her neck was crushed, and her thread of life snapped. The next thing she knew, she was floating downward. She could see the souls in the river, and she was about to join them when she felt herself freeze. Not matter what she did, she couldn't move and was left to dangle between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead.

_What's going on?_ She looked at the souls below. They reached out to her, begging for her to help them.

_"Persephone?"_

She felt her soul pulsate.  _Leon?_

_"Persephone, Goddess of Spring. Please hear my prayer. Save us from this apocalypse that has taken over the world."_

A golden glow appeared where her heart should've been, and the prayers of all the souls entered her mind.

_He didn't forget._ She would have cried if she could. _I'm such a fool. There's still people that need me. I can't let everything be destroyed._ She smiled.  _I promised after all._

Persephone's soul continued to pulsate until all of her shined with the same glowing aura. She ascended to the surface and felt her physical body return. T-201 stared at her in horror, and Persephone shot her hand forward, blasting her other from existence.

The earth split apart along the ravine, revealing the Underworld, and the souls rose out of the chasm. They swirled around Persephone, like moths, and she led them into the sky. Her divine energy was stronger than ever before, and once it engulfed her, she released an explosion that devoured the whole world with a blinding light.


	13. Spring Is Here

_2006 C.E. Japan_

The sun broke through the snowy clouds and shined upon the world of the future. Everything the warm rays touched melted, releasing everyone from their frozen prisons. In the ocean, where their helicopter fell, Chris, Jill, and Barry returned to consciousness and swam out of the sinking machine toward the surface. They sputtered water from their mouths and quickly climbed onto a piece of debris that was large enough for all three of them.

Chris shivered and huddled his arms around himself. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know." Jill sneezed. "But I lost all the data with the helicopter. What are we going to do?"

"For now, let's head to shore and get ourselves warmed up before we die of hyperthermia," Chris said.

Barry nodded. "Yeah, otherwise poor Valentine is going to be a Jillsicle."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

….

_2006 C.E. United States_

Leon opened his eyes and sat up. He shivered from the cold, his breath letting out a big puff of smoke, and surveyed the area. The snow melted around him, revealing the front yard of a house. He glanced down and saw Angela lying next to him.

"I'm awake." Looking up, he shielded his eyes and saw familiar blue flowers sprouting from the trees.  _She did it._

….

Claire coughed and groaned in pain. Opening her eyes, she stared at the falling debris around her. "What the hell?"

It took a moment for her to recall the memory. Harvardville Airport. Wilpharma. The suspicious man she saw in the courtyard below, and the explosion that followed. She pulled a shard of glass out of her leg before huddling her arms around herself.

"I'm so stupid." She hit the floor with her fist.

An image of Hades flashed in her mind. He had been the one responsible for all of this, and yet, she felt more confused than ever.

_Why did everyone in our time connect with his?_ She tried to stand.  _And why me?_

….

_1279 B.C.E Greece_

Persephone opened her eyes and waited for her sight to adjust. "The sun?"

There was no mistake. The sun soared over the earth at the command of Apollo's chariot. She lay at the bottom of the ravine on a bed of flowers. Her armor vanished, and in its place appeared an elegant, white dress, her hair adorned with blue lilies. Her skin shone bright with a golden, immortal glow, and she could feel her divine energy flowing through her.

"I'm a goddess again." She stood up.

"Lady Persephone!"

She spotted two figures running toward her. One was a frail, blonde girl, and the other…. "Orpheus?"

He looked alive and healthy, like he had never fallen from the cliff at all. He and the girl stopped before Persephone and bowed at her feet.

"Oh, Persephone, great goddess, you are truly merciful," Orpheus said.

She stepped back. "I am?"

"Why yes." He looked up. "It is you, who brought me and my darling Eurydice back to life, is it not?"

Persephone thought for a minute. The memory was vague, but she recalled almost dying and calling the souls out of the Underworld. Was it possible she had revived everyone who had died in the incident?

_If that's true, then that means…._ She gave Orpheus an unsure nod. "Yes."

"I knew that Megara woman was mistaken." He stood. "I am glad to see that you are well."

Persephone furrowed her brow. "How did you know it was me?"

"Cassandra's prophecy." He smiled. "When you explained what happened, I realized that the Lord of the Dead must've been the god she foretold. And the way you spoke of him, I knew then that you were his intended."

"Thank you for saving me. Is there anything I can do for you?" she said.

"Returning my bride to me is more than enough." Orpheus cuddled Eurydice closer to him. "Thank you so much."

"Well, I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on." Persephone looked out toward the mountains. "For now, I'll be taking my leave."

"As you wish, my Lady." He bowed one more time before heading toward the sea with his wife.

"Bye!" Eurydice waved with a smile.

Persephone waved after them and sighed.

"Well done, young goddess."

Turning around, Persephone saw three elderly… or perhaps ancient women standing behind her. They were draped in black cloaks and shared one eye between them. The short woman with pink skin lazily tossed the eyeball up and down in her hand.

She shifted her gaze between them. "Are you three–?"

"The Fates," they finished the sentence for her.

_Right. Hades told me about them._ Persephone folded her arms. "What are you–?"

"Doing here?" The green woman in the middle, whom Persephone assumed was Clotho, took the eye from her sister placed it into one of her empty sockets. "Why to congratulate you of course. You restored balance to this world and all those that will follow."

The short woman, Atropos, stole the eye back and set it in her single socket. "And you've certainly kept us entertained."

"What are you talking about?" Persephone said.

The third sister, Lachesis, stepped forward and snatched the eyeball from her smaller sibling. "Choose wisely and don't forget." The eye floated out of her hand and glowed.

_That prophecy I heard in my dream when I was falling through the abyss._ Persephone gasped. "That was you?"

"Correct." Clotho nodded. "But stay on your guard, Persephone, for your trials have yet to end."

"You have faced your fears, but until you conquer them, you will continue to waste your tears," Atropos said.

"Search deep inside for what was lost," Lachesis placed the glowing eyeball in her socket. "For only then shall  _both_ of your spirits mend."

The Fates vanished in a swirl of smoke.

"Huh?" Persephone groaned.  _What does that even mean?_

"Persephone!"

She looked up and saw the messenger god zip down into the ravine. "Hermes?"

"Are you alright?" He hovered a few feet above her. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I'm fine." Persephone looked away.  _If he's here, then Hades must be alive._

Hermes held out his hand. "Come on. Your mother's ready to rip the whole earth apart, and I don't think the mortals can suffer through another disaster."

_I should at least settle things with mom first. I'm sure she's been losing her mind._ She took his hand. "Let's go."

….

Hades groaned. _My head is killing me._

He opened his eyes, but he couldn't see anything. It took him a moment to realize he was blind-folded, and his hands were tied behind his back.

_What's going on?_ He furrowed his brow.  _Am I alive?_

He remembered slipping himself out of his chains, but he felt so weak, he could barely move. He managed to write a letter to Persephone, and shortly after, he passed out.

_I wonder if she found it? Is she even okay_ ? He sighed. I _wish I could know if she was safe._

He shifted around, trying to get a sense of his surroundings. He knew he was no longer in his room, and going by the smell, he was nowhere near the Underworld either. In fact, the air was so clean that he must have been at a high altitude.

_Olympus._ He frowned, feeling the misty clouds between his fingers.  _But who brought me here?_

He heard a door open, and footsteps approached him.

"Time to pay, traitor," a deep, booming voice called out to him.

"Oh, Hephaestus." Hades smiled in his general direction. "How are you? It seems I've gotten myself into quite a bind here. Care to fill me in on what's going on?"

"Apparently, someone brought all of us back to life and restored the realm of the mortals," Hephaestus said.

_I don't like the sound of this._ Hades raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"What's wrong, Hades? Upset that your plans were ruined?" He laughed. "Now, come. Zeus wants to have a word with you."

Hades felt Hephaestus grab him by the collar of his chiton and drag him to a different location. Soon he could hear the violent jeers and shouts of the Olympians. Hephaestus threw him onto a stone slab, and ripped his blind-fold off of his face. As he guessed, he was on Mt. Olympus, surrounded by an angry parthenon.

Zeus towered over him with a sneer. "Hello, Hades."

"Zeus." Hades gave a nervous chuckle. "I know you're probably a little sore, but, come on, we don't need to go through a whole trial. How about a heartfelt apology, some community service here and there, and we walk away like nothing ever happened?"

"Silence!" Zeus glared at him. "You can't talk your way out of this." He glanced toward the crowd. "Hermes!"

In a flash, the messenger god brought Persephone out of the crowd and placed her on a separate stone slab next Hades'.

"Let me go!" She struggled in her binds. "Hermes, you fucking liar!"

Hermes furrowed his brow. "Sorry, babe, but I had to convince you to come with me."

Turning, Persephone's eyes locked with Hades'. He could see the shock written all over her face, and possibly a hint of relief.

_She's gotten her immortality back._ He put two and two together.  _No… she didn't…._

Zeus stood before the Olympians. "Today, I've called you all here to join me in bestowing justice upon these traitors. They thought they could get away with murdering us in cold blood, usurping me from my throne, but now we will show them what a grave mistake they've made!" Realizing what he said, he snickered. "Get? Grave?"

Hades rolled his eyes. _Oh, please._

Athena stood next to Zeus and unraveled a scroll. "Hades, Lord of the Underworld, you have been charged with high treason, homicide and repeated conspiracies against the Olympian throne. Your sentence is death."

"What?" Hades stared at his brother.  _Dying once was bad enough._ He supposed he should've expected it, but he never thought Zeus would have the guts to finish him off.

Cheers erupted from the Olympians, and Zeus nodded with a grin.

"Persephone, Goddess of Spring," Athena continued reading, "You have been charged with high treason, manslaughter, and violation of your banishment. Your sentence is also death."

"What else is new?" Persephone lowered her head.

"No!" Demeter pushed her way through the crowd and stormed over to Zeus. "My Kore is innocent. By all means, punish that monster–!" She pointed at Hades. "But don't you dare lay a finger on her after what you've done, Zeus!"

"My word is law, and I will not change my mind," Zeus said, his tone firm.

Demeter stepped in front of Persephone. "Then you shall go through me."

"Mother?" Persephone furrowed her brow.

Hades glanced away.  _Am I really jealous that I'm not the one protecting her?_

Zeus let out an aggravated yell. "Demeter, don't make this harder than it has to be. I may have made a few missteps in judgement, and I apologize to the parthenon for my actions. However–" He narrowed his eyes. "Your daughter is a criminal, and it's time you faced the truth."

"She is not!" Demeter stood her ground. "She was taken advantage of by you disgusting men!"

"Why not ask the girl?" Hera stepped forward. "Then we'll see who is lying."

"Very well." Demeter turned around. "Tell them, Persephone. What did that monster do to you?"

Hades watched Persephone lift her head and glance everyone over with caution. Her eyes found his, but he couldn't read her emotions before she closed them.

"Hades is the one that's innocent." She looked at her mother. "This was my fault."

"That can't be true." Demeter gasped. "He kidnaped you, didn't he? He raped you along with Zeus."

Persephone shook her head. "That night, after the festival, I tried to runaway, but I bumped into Zeus by accident. He assaulted me, and I fought him. Everything he's said about us was a lie to maintain his disgusting reputation."

Zeus gritted his teeth but remained silent.

"After I was banished, I ran away again and sought out Hades." She looked at Demeter. "You didn't notice because I turned one of the nymphs into my doppelgänger."

" _You_ released Hades?" Zeus stomped over to her, but Demeter blocked him.

Persephone stared at him, her expression calm. "I wanted revenge."

Hera raised an eyebrow. "You expect us to believe that you were the master mind behind  _everything_ ?"

"Don't underestimate me. It wasn't hard to get Hades under my thumb and make him my perfect slave." Persephone smirked. "Pathetic men, mortal or god, are so easily swayed by the  _right_ curves." She gave an evil laugh to emphasize her point.

All eyes fell on Hades, and he remained silent, his gaze fixated to the ground.

_Should I be offended or turned on?_ He couldn't believe Persephone was taking the heat for him.  _Doesn't she realize what they'll do to her?_

"How could you be so selfish, Persephone?" Demeter folded her arms. "You're not the first woman Zeus has gone after. If you had behaved yourself and stayed at my side, none of this would've happened."

Persephone scoffed. "Just because you and the other goddesses are too scared to stand up to that overgrown bully–" She nodded in Zeus' direction. "Doesn't mean I have to be."

"Enough!" Demeter slapped her across the face. "I will not tolerate your disobedience any longer. Everything was thrown out of balance because of you."

"And I saved it." She smiled. "Despite all you've done, I couldn't let the world fall."

"She lies!" Ares glared at her. "There's no way a low rank goddess like her could be that powerful."

The rest of the Olympians nodded in agreement.

She glanced back at them. "If you don't believe me, ask the Fates."

_So it's true._ Hades stared at her in awe _. For her to control the dead like that… she really was destined to be my queen._

"I've heard my fill." Zeus pushed Demeter out of his way and stood in front of Persephone. "If it's true that you saved us, I suppose I could lighten your sentence."

He brushed her cheek, and she bit him. He jerked his hand back, and examined it. She had broken the skin, and little drops of ichor were running down his fingers.

"Are you alright, dear?" Hera tried to look at his hand, but he shrugged her away.

"Everyone leave!" Zeus' voice rang through the mountain like thunder. "I'll deal with these two myself!"

The Olympians shared confused glances until they saw the sky darken and charge with lightning. It was clear Zeus meant business, and they fled from the scene. Demeter tried to take Persephone, but Zeus grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.

"She stays," he said with a low growl.

Demeter pulled herself out of his grip. "I will not leave her, she is my…."

Zeus struck her across the face, knocking her to the ground. "You've proven that you're incapable of controlling her. Leave now, or suffer the consequences."

"But…." She touched her face.

Lightning flashed behind Zeus, and Demeter gave Persephone one last glance before disappearing in a web of vines.

Hades glanced around. _With everyone gone, it'll be easier to escape. Now all I need is an opening._

Zeus towered over Persephone and held out his hand. "What are you?"

She looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me." He grabbed her hair. "How are you able to kill us? Answer me!"

She spit in his face. "Go fuck yourself."

Zeus threw Persephone to the ground. She tried to get up, but he held her down and started beating her. A punch to the face, a kick in the stomach, he hit her everywhere he could until her skin bruised. She didn't make a sound and remained still while he tossed her around like a rag doll.

Hades wanted to burn the whole place down at the sight before him. He didn't like to get his hands dirty, but this would be his one exception. He'd slowly dismember Zeus tiny piece by tiny piece with his own fingers, and roast him over an open fire for eternity. However, despite his rage, he had to suppress himself.

_If Zeus finds out she's my wife, it'll only make things worse._ Hades pretended to yawn from boredom. "Wow, Zeus, you look like such a brave and noble leader, beating up a defenseless woman."

Zeus kicked Persephone in the head, knocking her unconscious. He grinned with satisfaction before returning his attention to his brother.

"I don't understand, Hades. When we were younger, you were so mellow. You didn't have the spine to harm another living thing, let alone take a woman." He furrowed his brow. "What happened?"

"What can I say?" Hades chuckled. "Being forever trapped in that death pit and surrounded by nothing but your family's ridicule can change a guy."

"Hmph." Zeus stepped closer. "And your hate runs so deep that you developed a way to kill us?"

"Sorry, bro. Like I said before, I can't take credit for that one," he said.

"Then who is responsible?" Zeus grabbed him by the collar. "You were so smug before; I know you know what's going on. Tell me."

Hades recalled his conversation with Wesker. _That had been another dream. If he's still lurking out there, I'll deal with him myself._ He shrugged. "No clue."

"Maybe death isn't appropriate for you." Zeus glared at him. "Perhaps I should show you the same kindness I did the Titans? I'm sure you'll regret your actions once you're chained down at the bottom of the ocean with that irritating mouth of yours sown shut."

"Go ahead." He laughed. "After all, my position is so desirable; you'd be able to replace me in no time."

"I'll find someone suitable," Zeus said.

Hades gave him a knowing look. "Suitable enough that they won't let daddy dearest escape?"

Zeus' aura paled a little. "What are you getting at?"

"Hey, regardless of how long my rap sheet is, I've never let Cronus go." He smirked. "But you and I both know that your parthenon of spawn aren't strong enough to ignore him. Although, I guess it might not be too bad. You spent the least time with him, so I'm sure you two would love to catch up."

They stared each other down before Zeus turned away with a huff. He was silent for a while, clearly considering his options. Sighing, he retrieved a lightning bolt from his satchel.

"I'll risk it." He raised the bolt high above his head.

"What? Come on, Zeus, babe." Hades cringed. "Think this through."

Lightning struck Zeus in the head from behind, shocking his whole body. He screamed, dropping his bolt and collapsing on the ground.

Persephone stood over him, a scowl on her face. "Dead or alive, you're still a pain in the ass." She clutched her side and sucked in a groan when she bent down to pick up his satchel.

Hades' eyes widened. "Angel-face?"

"I'm okay, Ai…." She whimpered, trying to keep herself steady, and limped over to him. Using another bolt, she undid his binds. "Are you alright?"

Hades flexed his wrists. "Couldn't be better. Thank you."

"Hey, I went through Tartarus to save your sorry behind." She gave him a weak smile. "I wasn't about to let that creep kill you."

Her knees buckled under, but Hades caught her before she fell. He carried her in his arms and glanced at Zeus. Unfortunately, the blow hadn't killed his brother, and he knew it'd only be a matter of time before Zeus woke up.

"Let's get out of here." Hades summoned his chariot.

"Someone help! Hades is loose!" Demeter cornered Hades with a wall of vines. "Let her go, you bastard!"

"Sorry, Demeter, it's nothing personal." Hades smirked. "Your little girl made a deal with me, and it's time for her to pay up."

Demeter scowled. "If you don't give her back to me, I'll purge this whole world into another apocalypse."

"Fine by me. Thanks to Persephone's stunt, my soul index is in the negative." He chuckled. "And once all of you become frail without the mortals kissing your asses, I'll usurp Zeus for good."

"Then I'll send the others to hunt you down." She turned around. "Hurry! Someone!"

Hades heard the other Olympians approaching. "Well, it looks like we're out of time. Nice chit-chatting with you, and don't worry about Persephone." Burning down the vines, he boarded his chariot and gave Demeter an evil grin. "I'll take  _real_ good care of her."

Taking the reins, Hades flew off of Mt. Olympus before the others had a chance to give chase. He could hear Demeter screaming at the top of her lungs and sighed.

_Guess that myth Claire told me came true. Oh well, at least my reputation remains intact._ He looked down at Persephone. She had fallen asleep, but it looked like her bruises were healing.  _I wish I could've taken the rest of those lightning bolts and rammed them right up Zeus'… ugh, relax. You'll have another chance._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Disney's Hercules characters and themes from the Hercules' movie/t.v. show belongs to Disney. Resident Evil characters and themes owned by creators within Capcom. My version of Persephone, Despoina, Lust, Vanity, Rhea, Galenia, and idea for the plot owned by me.


	14. Broken

Hades entered the Underworld gates and landed the chariot by the dock. He stepped down, making sure not to drop Persephone. She stirred and shifted in his arms before opening her barely good eye.

“Here we are, Angel-face, home sweet home,” he said. “Let’s get you to your room to rest. I swear, the next time I see Zeus, I’ll kill him.”

“I don’t need rest. I’ll be fine.” She coughed. “Let me stand.”

He helped her onto her feet, but when she took a small step, she stumbled and groaned in pain. He moved to help her, but she shooed him away. Before clutching onto the edge of the chariot for support.

“Listen, in spite of everything–” She gasped, trying to even her breath. “What I said before still stands. We should go our separate ways.”

“You wanna leave?” His eyes slightly widened. “But, Persephone, I mean… I know we’ve hit a few rough patches.”

“ _Major_ rough patches.” She sighed and closed her eye. “All we’ve done is hurt each other. If I hadn’t come down here… dragged you into my problems, you wouldn’t have gotten killed. I– I apologize.”

Hades saw her remorseful expression and furrowed his brow. “You’re right, but we can work this out. Hey, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t exactly crazy about you hittin’ me with an axe.”

She flinched at his words.

“Persephone, havin’ you down here has made the Underworld worth livin’ in.” He placed a hand under her chin. “And where are you gonna go? We’re kinda Olympus’ most wanted.”

She moved away from him. “I’ll figure something out.”

“And that’s whatcha want? An eternity of roamin’ upstairs undercover, constantly in fear of Zeus or the others findin’ you?” He took her free hand in his. “Stay with me. Please.”

“My decision is final.” She pulled her hand out of his grip.

“But–” He reached for her hand again, but she refused him. “I love you.”

The moment the words slipped off his tongue, Hades paused as though stung by them. It was true. Persephone was the only woman he had honestly loved, and possibly the only person he cared about at all.

“I love you too, and I want you to live a long, happy life.” Her eyes watered, a mixture of tears and ichor running down her cheeks. “Without me.”

She vanished in a flurry of flower petals.

“Persephone?” Hades looked around. “Persephone!”

He continued to call for her, hoping she’d change her mind and appear at his side, but instead he was met with silence. The same numb, isolating stillness he had grown accustomed to.

 _She left me. She actually…._ He lowered his head.

Mixed emotions bubbled inside of him until he couldn’t contain them anymore, and he exploded into a supernova, his bellows reaching every corner of the Underworld.

….

Persephone stumbled through the depths of the Underworld as fast as her broken body could take her. Everything ached from Zeus’ abuse, and it took all of her strength not to pass out again. Hearing Hades’ dejected cries echo throughout the caverns, she felt her heart sink, but she had to ignore him. This was for the best, or so she told herself.

Weak footsteps slowed to a grinding halt once she reached her destination. Ahead was the dreaded wasteland of torment, Tartarus. A red haze served as its barrier and continued on into it depths like an abyss. She stepped inside and walked at a more cautious pace. An eerie silence surrounded her, the same she had endured for so long. Cut off from the world with only the voices inside her head to guide her.

As she trudged on, she came upon a labyrinth of prison cells filled with the souls of the wicked, and yet she was blind to them. She couldn’t hear their pitiful cries for freedom, or feel their grimy hands reach out through steel bars festering with rust and blood. She couldn’t even smell the metallic tang that saturated the air, accentuated with rot and rancor. No, she flittered past them as though a faint breeze, for this was Tartarus, a place of punishment. And hers was isolation.

_“Mommy!”_

Turning, Persephone noticed a car wreck beside her. Within the bent and melted metal lay her mother as lifeless as a rag doll, a large sliver of the windshield lodged in her skull. She retreated back, trying to blink away the sight before her.

_“Persephone! Help! They’re eating me!”_

Whirling around, Persephone saw Despoina being mauled by the cerberus. Her little sister reached out to her, and without another thought, she rushed to save her. However, the moment she touched Despoina’s hand, the vision faded, and Persephone skidded into the dirt, wisps of smoke dissipating around her.

Propping herself onto her knees, she stared at her hands. She could’ve sworn she felt Despoina’s fingers brush against hers. Punching the ground, she bemoaned her foolishness.

_“Now be a good girl and hold still.”_

Persephone looked up and saw Wesker. Next to him was her younger self strapped to an examination table. Volts of electricity surged through her younger self, who wailed in agony. She dug her hands into her hair and shook her head. She tried to scream, but her voice had abandoned her.

 _“You’re a killer.”_ Wesker smirked. “ _Let go of your humanity.”_

Her entire head felt wet, and a sticky substance ran down her face and the back of her neck. Pulling her hands away, she saw that they were covered in blood, and it continued to spread over her until she was vomiting it up. She tried to wipe the blood off, but no matter what she did, it remained glued to her.

_“You’re a killer.”_

Wesker’s voice echoed in her mind, and corpses appeared before her. Thousands of them scattered the ground, piling on top of each other in large heaps, and they all bore the faces of every person Persephone had slain.

She fled from the area and across a narrow path. Deeper and deeper, she stumbled her way through the endless haze. Her bones ached, her muscles throbbed, and her mind clouded, but she continued forward, relentless. Anything to escape the demons that plagued her.

She slipped over the edge of the path and tumbled down. Her body collided with the sharp, cavern wall, and she landed in a pool of tar. She lifted herself up, but the muck impeded her movements. With every wriggle and writhe, she inched closer to solid ground and with clawing hands, dragged herself out. She rested on the ground, her breathing ragged, and ahead, she saw a new path that led into a crevice in the wall.

Persephone moved to stand before flopping back down with a groan. She tried three more times, but her body had become too weak. Sighing, she flipped onto her stomach and crawled toward the crevice. Her movements were slow and shaky, and her stomach felt like it was being raked over shards of glass.

The path ended at a cliff, which she gratefully collapsed on. She had reached the pit of Tartarus. Across from her, the Phlegethon poured souls into the black sludge below. The souls burned on contact, their forms turning red and skeletal. She rested on her back while staring at the haze. She had saved the world, and now it was time to do what was right for her. Reaching into the hidden pocket of her dress, she pulled out the lightning bolt she stole from Zeus. Using her powers, she concentrated the bolt into a bullet, and in her free hand, she summoned a revolver.

She loaded the bullet into the revolver, tears spilling down her face. “I’m sorry, Despoina. I know you wanted me to live, but I can’t keep that promise.”

_“Don’t do that. It’ll hurt.”_

Persephone paused and glanced around at the sound of the young, innocent voice. Blinking with her barely good eye, she saw her five-year-old self standing over her with a matching tear-stained face.

“Great. More hallucinations.” Gritting her teeth, she put a hand to her forehead. “Go away.”

“But you’ll hurt yourself if I do,” the child said.

“It’s okay.” Persephone looked from her five-year-old self to the revolver. “It’s what I want.”

The child furrowed her brow. “Why?”

“Because–” Persephone sighed. “I’m tired. All I want now is to find peace.”

“But won’t people miss you?” the child said.

“Like I ever really mattered to anyone.” She scoffed. “It’s funny. The older you get, the faker everyone is. Even someone you loved with everything you had.”

“But–” The child clasped her hands together and shook her head. “No, no, that’s not true. Sure, Despoina’s gone, and mommy’s mad at us, but Hades is still here. Remember? We’re supposed to be best friends forever. We wished on a star and everything.”

“You forget that Hades didn’t wish to be our best friend. He wished for Olympus, the only thing he cares about.” Persephone rolled into her side. “Besides, wishes and dreams are foolish nonsense for children. I’ve outgrown them, and so will you. Way sooner than you should’ve.”

“No!” The child stomped her foot on the ground. “You just stopped believing!”

“Except there’s nothing to believe in. Not anymore,” she said.

The child placed a hand on her shoulder. “Then let me stay with you until it’s over. That way you won’t be alone.”

Persephone groaned. “No. Leave.”

The child looked like she wanted to argue, but she decided against it and lowered her head in defeat. “Okay.”

Her five-year-old self vanished, and Persephone took a deep breath before pointing the revolver at her head.

_“Why didn’t you let Hades help you!”_

Persephone cursed under her breath when she saw her thirteen-year-old self appear before her. The teen glared down at her with her hands on her hips.

“Because he broke my heart, or did you miss the part where he lied and put me in danger?” Persephone said.

“But he apologized. And he loves you, just like he did me.” The teen smiled. “So everything should be fine.”

“It’s not that simple. Relationships are just about lovey-dovey feelings.” Persephone sighed. “There needs to be trust and respect. You have to care for each other even in the darkest of times.”

“And that’s all Hades has ever been to us until you screwed it up!” The teen pointed at her. “When you first came to the Underworld, you could’ve told him who you were, but you acted like a scaredy cat and kept it a secret. You can’t accuse him of betraying your trust when you never gave him a chance to begin with.”

Persephone sat up. “Accept I was right not to. You saw what he did.”

“You could’ve been wrong though. But we’ll never know because you expected the worst the of him, and created… what’s it called?” The teen thought for a second. “A self-fulfilling prophecy?”

“I don’t care about what could’ve been! I’m just a body, a weapon, a doll! No one, including Hades, actually cares about me, and the few things I had left are gone!” Persephone grabbed a rock and threw it at her thirteen-year-old self. “So shut up already!”

The hallucination vanished, leaving her to break down and cry.

….

Hades stormed into the throne room where the imps were waiting.

“Boss?” Panic shivered, noticing his expression.

Pain shared a glance with his companion and backed away. “Are you okay?”

Lust scanned the room. “Where is Lady Persephone, my Lord?”

“Maybe she really did sacrifice herself?” Vanity whispered to him.

At the mention of Persephone’s name, Hades screamed and threw fire balls at everything he could see until the whole room was destroyed. Once he exhausted himself, he sat on his throne and caught his breath. The imps had fled, allowing him to gather his thoughts without interruption.

 _I can’t believe this._ His fingers twitched along the edge of the arm rests, and he closed his eyes. _After everythin’…._

He wanted to shout and rage until his entire kingdom burned down, but his temper had fizzled out. All he could feel was the emotion he dreaded, sadness. Losing Olympus was bad, especially after he had gotten so close, but he could always try again. Losing Persephone, on the other hand, wasn’t something he could easily brush off. She was the literal girl of his dreams, and it was an act of the Fates that she had reentered his life.

 _And what did you do, ya big yutz?_ He buried his face in his hands. _You blew it. You coulda had the love of your life at your side for eternity, and you ruined everythin’._

He felt the urge to cry, but he resisted and glanced toward what was left of his map. Curiosity peaking, he walked over to it and waved his hand.

“Show me Persephone,” he said.

He didn’t know why he was checking up on her. Perhaps part of him was worried, or at least that’s what he told himself. The surface of the map transformed, and he expected to find her hiding in some sweet local in the forests above, but….

“Huh?” He gasped.

Persephone was inside the pit of Tartarus, looking in worse shape than he had seen her only moments ago. Tears streamed down her face while she pointed a revolver to her head. Without a second thought, he vanished from the throne room and reappeared on the ledge behind her.

“Oh, great Chaos, mother of all that exists–” she said, her voice trembling, "I have shredded all of my attachment to this world, and desire to be unbound from the bones that shackle me–"

“Stop!” he said.

With a faint gasp, Persephone froze. She slowly turned, her grip on the revolver loosening.

“What are you doing here?” Her meek voice was a mixture of surprise and fear. “I already said goodbye to you.”

“Me? What are _you_ doin’?” Hades folded his arms. “Are you crazy?”

“No,” she said in a defensive tone before furrowing her brow. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Persephone?” He stepped toward her but was blocked by a barrier.

“Stay over there.” She looked at the revolver. “I’m tired of suffering. It’s always just one thing after another.”

Hades sighed. “But, Angel-face, that’s no reason to kill yourself.”

“What do you know?” she said.

“What do _I_ know?” He rolled his eyes. “My father tried to kill me, my brother stole Olympus, and our family, along with the rest of Greece, hates me. But you don’t see me putting a bolt to my head.”

Persephone stared at him before breaking out into hysterical laughter until she began to wheeze. She coughed and tried to steady her breathing.

“Funny.” She cleared her throat. “I recall a little boy, who after his father devoured him, wouldn’t speak and would stare into space like a statue.”

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” he said.

“Oh?” She scoffed. “You were like that for weeks, and when you finally spoke, you couldn’t stop crying for your mommy to rescue you.”

She forced herself to stand and hobbled toward the barrier, using it as support.

“But your mommy never came, did she? _I_ had to console you,” she said, “Then there was that one night when we were eleven, and you came to me with this psychotic look. Said you’d created a knife saturated in your father’s poisonous bile, and I had to dissuade you from gutting yourself.”

Hades opened his mouth to speak, but he was at a loss of words. He frowned, the memories returning to the forefront of his mind. He thought his mother had abandoned him, that she considered him worthless. His suspicions were confirmed when he discovered she had protected Zeus from the same fate.

“So quit the tough act. Sure, you didn’t succeed in killing yourself–” She sneered at him. “But that sweet, little boy grew up to be an angry, manipulative, selfish prick, who wastes his time chasing old dreams.”

Body giving out, Persephone rested herself back on the ground while Hades stared at her. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Really? So all that stuff earlier about me livin’ a happy life was what… your way of lettin’ me down easy?” he said.

“Perhaps.” She shrugged.

He felt his temper rise but quickly calmed himself. “Then why’d you help me? You tried to cure me, and even took all the blame on Olympus.”

“I did it in the name of our past friendship.” She lowered her head. “And for myself. I couldn’t bear to lose someone again, like I lost Des.”

“How noble of you.” He snorted.

“At least I’ve always cared for your well-being.” Her tone went stern. “No matter what you say, Olympus is your true love. I was just another step in your plan.”

“You’re wrong,” he said.

“Please. Not once have you considered my feelings. You pursued me when I said I didn’t want a relationship, and tried to manipulate me into changing my mind.” She scowled. “Do you really think I’m that shallow?”

“No, of course not.” He threw his arms in the air. “Look, I’m sorry about Minthe, alright?”

“Not sorry enough.” She frowned. “You forced everyone’s blood on my hands, and put the burden of saving the entire world on my shoulders, so you could achieve your own objective.”

“Persep–“ he said.

She waved her hand, making the barrier knock him on the ground. “You couldn’t even tell me you were infected!”

He groaned. “I didn’t want you to get upset.”

“And so what if I did!” Her voice echoed throughout the cavern. “I have every right to know that someone I love is _dying_!”

“I–” he said.

“I could’ve had more time to help you. But no–” She laughed with disbelief. “I don’t deserve the respect or decency to know when you’re in trouble. And who cares if you put me in danger? I’m just some stupid woman. It’s no big deal.”

“That’s not–” he said.

“All that matters is that you kept me in check long enough to get laid, right?” Her voice trembled. “Well, you got what you wanted, so leave already.”

An unsettling silence fell between them, and Hades didn’t know what to say. It felt like she had stabbed him with the axe again, and every word that slipped from her mouth only twisted it deeper and deeper.

 _But she’s right._ He furrowed his brow. “No, I haven’t.”

She gave an aggravated scream. “Leave me alone! Haven’t all of you have taken enough from me already!”

He raised an eyebrow. “All?”

“You, Wesker, Zeus, my mother–” She sniffled back a sob. “I have nothing left! Just look at me!”

Persephone’s injuries were getting worse from her stress, and she’d never heal without proper rest and care. Hades watched her bury her face in her hands and cry. He wanted to console her, but it was clear that she didn’t want his help.

“Persephone….” he said.

“No, Hades.” She picked up the revolver and put it to her head. “Happy endings aren’t for people like us. We’re broken.”

He pounded against the barrier. “Don’t!”

She closed her barely good eye. “Please allow me to find peace, and become a mere essence of my element.”

The gunshot rang off with an ear deafening bang, and the blast sent bits of Persephone’s skull and brain matter splatting through the air. Lightning surged throughout her body while she fell backward. She hit the ground with a lifeless ‘thud’, the revolver slipping from her hand. Little shocks of lightning jolted through her body, each weaker than the previous, until they ceased altogether, and she lay completely still.

Hades stood frozen, his eyes wide, and he was sure he had stopped breathing. He stared at the mixture of ichor and blood that pooled around her skull, and he blinked over and over, hoping that what he was seeing wasn’t real. After what felt like hours, his voice found him, and he dropped to his knees while screaming at the top of his lungs.

Persephone’s barrier had dissipated, allowing him to crawl over and cradle her body into his arms. He buried his face against the crook of her neck and cried harder than he ever had in his life. Once again, he had failed to do anything for her, and now history was repeating itself.

 _It’s one thing for her to break up with me, but to kill herself?_ He sobbed. “Angel-face, if you can hear me, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He took her hand and placed it against his cheek. It was slowly losing its warmth, and in that instance, he felt a part of himself fade with it. He glanced at the narrow path that led back into the center of Tartarus. All that awaited him was a dreary void of a world with joy-dreaming souls and his tyrant father as next door neighbors.

He looked at Persephone. Despite her injuries, she did appear at peace, and he felt an overwhelming urge to join her. It’s not like he’d be missed. He shook his head, tossing the depressing thoughts away. She had saved him, and it would be rude him to disregard her final wish.

_“I love you too, and I want you to live a happy life.”_

The words repeated in his mind, and he cuddled her closer. “I know you wanted me to be happy without you, but I don’t think I can. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. You’ve always looked out for me even if it meant suffering in silence for yourself, and how did I repay you? By bein’ a shitty friend and husband. You deserved so much better than that.”

Hades secured Persephone in his arms and stood up. The least he could do to atone for his mistakes was provide her with a proper resting place. His thoughts jumped to the Olympians, and the roasting he was going to get once Demeter found out her daughter was. A shover ran up his spine, and he wasn’t sure he escape their wrath this time.

“Aidi?”

He jumped, almost dropping Persephone, and he searched the area, expecting to see her spirit hovering nearby.

“Aidi, is that you? I… I can’t move. What’s going on?”

He looked down with wide eyes. “Persephone?”

Had her corpse just spoken? Assuming the worst, he glanced her over and didn’t see any signs of her previous mutations until he saw the gunshot wound. It was slowly regenerating, and the color and warmth were returning to her skin.

“Persephone, babe, it’s me. Are you…? How are you?” he said.

He saw her brow knit, and she seemed to be unable to open her eyes. “Then I’m still alive? It didn’t work?”

She began to simper and cry, and he simply cuddled her close. His emotions were all over the place, and he tried his best to stay focused. She needed him right now, and he was going to do everything in his power to help her.

_One Week Later…._

Hades made his way to Persephone’s chamber, and taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

Lust answered and bowed. “Good morning, my Lord.”

The imp stepped out of the way, allowing him entry, and Hades looked at Persephone. She was sitting by the window, her attention fixated on the misty abyss outside. Her shallowed injuries had healed, but her head was still bandaged. The wound should’ve healed by now, but he knew her mental state was hindering her recovery.

He frowned at the tray of untouched good and turn to Lust and Vanity. “And why hasn’t she eaten yet? I thought you two had it under control?”

“Don’t be upset with them.” Persephone turned her head, her voice devoid of all energy. “I’m just not hungry.”

Hades walked over to her. “Persephone, you need to eat. If you don’t get your strength back up, you’re need gonna heal. Tartarus has a negative effect on everyone, even gods, and you were already in bad shape when you stumbled through there.”

“I know… it just… I–” She buried her face in her hands and cried. “I just feel so stupid. I should be dead right now, and you shouldn’t be taking care of me.”

Furrowing her brow, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Angel-face, you can’t think like that. You said before that you’re broken, and fine, you’re not a perfect fairytale princess. But there’s nothin’ wrong with that. You’re beautiful, intelligent, and you got way more guts than I do. Not that I’m one to praises heroics, but you did save the world. That’s somethin’, right?”

She sighed and shrugged his hand off of her. “Alright, what do you want?”

“Want?” He blinked.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you really expect me to believe that you’re helping me through the pure goodness of your heart?”

“Look, I get it. You hate me.” He folded his arms. “But there’s no catch to this. I know it won’t change anythin’, but I do love you, Persephone. You’ve always been the light to my darkness, and I’ve barely returned the favor. I couldn’t save you when you died in the outbreak. I couldn’t even protect you from my brother. I should’ve been the one gettin’ beat to nearly to death, not you.”

“Zeus would’ve hurt me regardless of what you did.” She turned her attention back toward the window. “And don’t blame yourself for what happened back then. We were separated by time. There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

“Well, I’m doin’ somethin’ know.” He placed a hand over hers. “You deserve more than wastin’ away because of me, or Zeus, or anyone else. And once you’re better, you’re free to go. You’ll never have to worry about me darkenin’ your doorstep again.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “Now, will you please eat somethin’?”

She looked at the tray. “I’ll try.”

“Good. I gotta few things to take care, and I’ll check in on you later.” He headed for the door.

“I don’t hate you,” she said.

He stopped and turned around. “What?”

“I don’t hate you. What I said before–” Persephone looked at him with teary eyes. “I wasn’t in the right place of mind. But I still don’t trust you, so you’re concern for me better be as genuine as you claim. For your sake.”

“Understood.” He left her chamber.

Once Hades was outside in the hallway, he put a hand to his forehead and groaned. While he was happy that she was alive, he wasn’t sure how long he could take their awkward interactions. However, he had to accept that their relationship was severed for good.

 _I guess I could try to find a way to earn her trust again, but…._ He shook his head and made his way back to his throne room. _I swear by the Styx that whatever happens, I’ll do whatever I can to make Persephone happy and treat her like the queen she is. No more games. No more lies. All I’ll be is a good friend. Or husband if she’ll have me again._

….

_2006 C.E. South Korea_

Wesker dragged himself onto the shore and shook the remaining snow off of himself. He looked out toward the rest of area, watching everything melt at the sun's touch.

Galenia walked over to him. “Shall I tell Excella to send us another chopper?”

“Yes.” He nodded before looking at the sky with a smirk. _Everything's going according to plan._

* * *

 

**-To Be Concluded-**

**Disclaimer:** Disney's Hercules characters and themes from the Hercules' movie/t.v. show belongs to Disney. Resident Evil characters and themes owned by creators within Capcom. My version of Persephone, Despoina, Lust, Vanity, Rhea, Galenia, and idea for the plot owned by me.


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